The Need To Protect
by VirginaBlueBelle
Summary: But protect what? Severus needs to protect Hermione after she gets attacked in the Potions classroom while on patrol with Draco. Or does he need to protect his heart from her? AU & a bit OOC
1. Nightmare Come To Life

**A/N: This is my second SS+HG fan-fiction story, but first one to be completed. Please remember that just because my view of Severus may not be how you viewed him, it doesn't mean that my version is wrong or what have you. Also, I've made some edits after a few conversations with some reviews. Also, if you're going to leave a comment with constructive criticism in it, please be logged in or do as a PM, because I would like to actually explore what the issue is with you, and that way I can fix it and make the story better.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, if I didn't Severus never would of died._

Chapter 1

She was in shock. She never thought it could happen to her. Especially by someone she had considered a friend. She almost laughed at that thought. What a cliché, never thought it would happen to me. She thought as she pulled her wand out. It took about five tries but she managed to call forth her patronus and send it with a message to Draco.

Hermione knew she wouldn't have to wait long. She was in the dungeons, the potions classroom to be exact. She was on patrol, along with Draco. She had Harry had had a fight earlier and agreed to switch patrol partners so they could calm down and talk about either later that night or the next morning. Now that fight seemed so pointless.

At the sound of footsteps in the classroom Hermione let out a squeal, not meaning to but she hadn't even heard anyone in the hallway. Next thing she knew there was lit wand shining on her.

"Granger, you do know what the meaning of patrol does, don't you?" Professor Snape said snidely.

Hermione tried to answer but nothing would come out, her body just froze. She was too scared to do anything. She knew she should tell Severus what happened but she was already risking too much by having Draco help her. Just then they heard Draco calling her name as he was running down the hall.

"Draco, what is the meaning of this? You two are to be on patrol." Severus turned his wand towards him.

"Hermione sent her patronus to me. Said she needed help."

Hermione was managing to standup, but she was using the table, leaving her robes to fall in a pool on the floor. She went to grab her robes before Severus or Draco could see, but it was too late.

"Merlin's beard. Granger, what happened?" Severus demanded.

"Oh shut up Snape. Can't you tell she's in shock!" Draco said, yelling at him. As he walked to her, he pulled his robes off to throw over her. "Come on, Mi. Lets get you back to the dorms." He said gently. He was afraid to touch, not sure of the extent of damage caused to her body.

"No." she said weakly. "Take me to the hospital wing. In fact, Professor, please, I beg you, let us floo to the hospital wing. I don't want a chance running into the pot- patrol's on that side of the school."

Severus caught her quick change of words but he said nothing. Now is not the time to interrogate her. He thought as he quickly nodded his head, and led them towards the fireplace. After Draco and Hermione stepped in and vanished. He started to think about her last statement.

"That son of a bitch!" He said as realization dawned on him. He light the candles that where in the classroom and went back to the corner where he had found Hermione. There was blood on the floor where she had been sitting. He had even seen a smear of it on her leg as she had stepped into the fireplace. "I'll kill the little twerp." He thought as he left the room to tell Albus what had happened.


	2. Innocence Lost

Chapter 2

Madame Pomfrey was shocked by the fact that students where flooing into her hospital wing, but when she got a good look at Hermione, her shocked turned to concern. "Mister Malfoy, what happened to Miss Granger?" She asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, Madame." Draco said as he brought her to the closets bed and gentle set her down. "She sent her patronus to me for help and when I got there she was on the floor and her clothes where torn. I think she was attack but I didn't see any cuts or brui… Mi, who hurt you?" Draco asked when he turned to her; he could see a hand print showing on her neck.

"Draco, go. I'm fine now. Just go back to patrol and I'll see you in the dorms when I'm done here." Hermione pleaded. "Please!"

Draco nodded his head. He was going to talk to Severus and then Dumbledore. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. Even if it meant his godfather was the one to hurt her.

"Now, Miss Granger, why don't you tell me what really happened." The medi-witch asked.

"I was patrolling the hallway by the potions classroom, when I heard something coming from the room. I wasn't sure if the Potions Master was in there or if it was a student. So I went to check." Hermione took a deep sigh to try to steady her nerves before continuing. "Professor Snape's apprentice was in there. I started to duck out with an apology. The next thing I know I'm on the ground and he's ripping at my clothes. When I started to scream he put his hand around my neck and then he ripped my skirt with his other hand and then he…he…"

"That's okay, Hermione. You don't need to continue." Madame Pomfrey said. "Lay back and I'll do a quick check to make sure you're physically okay. And I'll give you a Dreamless Sleep potion."

"Can you give me something for the pain, please? I was a…a virgin and just standing was painful." Hermione said barely above a whisper.

"Yes dear. " She said. Before she could say anything else, Severus and Draco lead Dumbledore into the hospital wing.

"Draco, what did you do?" Hermione ask. "Professor's I'm fine really."

"Granger, do not lie to me or the Head Master. I saw everything I needed when you climbed into the fireplace and on the floor of where I found you. Now you will tell me who did this to you at once!" Severus all but yelled at her. He was trying to keep a handle on his emotions, afraid that he would betray his feelings for her to everyone.

"Severus, calm down." Albus said. "Miss Granger, Professor Snape is correct. You need to tell us who did this to you."

Draco walked over to her and sat on the bed. He held her hand to try to comfort her. "You didn't care about the patrols seeing you. Who where you worried about, Mi?" Draco was pleading with her. He needed to have something to tell Harry. He was furious that Severus had not allowed him to join them in Dumbledore's office. Though how he new it involved Hermione is beyond me. "It wasn't… it wasn't Potter, was it?"

"God no! How could you think that?" Hermione asked Draco.

"I need to know who hurt you, Mi. Please, I can't help you if you don't tell me." Draco said.

"But if I do, he'll hurt me again. He said he'd know if I told anyone."

"I know who it is, but I would prefer to have you say it, Miss Granger. That way I know with out a shadow of a doubt." Severus said. He shocked everyone, even him self, when he sat down on the bed next to her, and held her other hand. "Please."

Hermione was completely confused by what she saw in his eyes. The feelings she saw in them mirrored her own. But that can't be right. I'm just shaken and see what I wish was there. She thought to herself. "It was Mr. Binns, Professor Snape's apprentice."


	3. Demands and Questions

Chapter 3

Severus was chopping at the bit to go after his apprentice, Avery Binns. He was once a student in his house but still he never thought that anyone from his house was capable of rape. Not since he was the head of house. "So you just expect me to stand back and not do anything?"

Albus looked at Severus with a look of curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "What I want to know is why you're so concerned for Miss Granger."

"I'm concerned that she isn't the first he's done this to." Severus snapped. He couldn't let that old fuddy duddy find out about his feelings for Hermione. Even he wasn't ready to face them.

"Oh don't give me that rubbish, Severus. I've known you since your school days."

"Bollocks! Just tell me what you want or I'll go about finding him and punishing him in my own way, damn you." Severus wouldn't have been surprised if smoke was coming out of his ears. He was worried for other girls, but more so for Hermione.

* * *

><p>Hermione tried to sleep but she was too sore to do more then lay on her back. Plus the whispers of Harry and Draco were keeping her awake. She just wanted them to shut up or go into their room. She had refused to tell Harry anything and would have told Draco to keep his mouth shut too but she knew it would be pointless.<p>

"Do you want me to get you another pain potion, Mi?" Ginny asked from her seat by the fire.

"No, I'm fine. Why don't you go distract the boys? Their whispers are starting to get on my nerves." Hermione asked of her friend.

"Are you sure? I know how you hate to sleep on your back." Ginny walked over to sit on the edge of Hermione's bed. She held Hermione's hand as pain washed across her face. She flinched a little at the grip on her hand but she didn't mind. Her pain was nothing compared to what Hermione was feeling. "Mi, what else did he do? You seem like you're in more pain then you should be."

"I honestly don't know. Maybe a potion went wrong and it did something to him and then it got on me. Or maybe he did a soundless curse." Hermione looked away, she didn't want to see the tears or pity in her friend's eyes. "I'm sure Professors Snape and Dumbledore will figure it out."

"Alright, but you call me if you need anything. I'll go distract the boys for you." With that Ginny left to go drag her boyfriends into their room.

Hermione slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. She smiled at Ginny's crazy relationship. No one understood how she could love both boys and how both boys didn't mind sharing her. She didn't understand it much but knew that in their own weird way, it worked for them.

She stared off into the distance, not really focusing on anything. She never imagined that she would ever face what she had just faced, especially at Hogwarts. As she started to worry about her classes and what the students would say, Crookshanks jumped onto her bed and nuzzled her hand, wanting attention. She obliged him and continued her thoughts allowed.

"What am I to do, Crookshanks? Do I hide in my room under and figuratively burry my head in the sand or do I face the whispers and gossips? Lord knows I've had enough of that with the rumors of Draco and me. But this is ten times worse then those, because it's true and some may turn it into me regretting sleeping with him and that I'm lying." She dashed away her tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

"Why would I lie about something so awful? I would never do that, damn it! No better yet damn him! Bloody bastard!"

So Hermione subsided and just continued to pet Crookshanks. Before she knew it she was fast asleep. Her head resting against her headboard and Crookshanks resting on her lap, she managed to have a dreamless sleep, even with forgetting to take the potion the medi-witch gave her.

* * *

><p>The same could not be said for Severus.<p>

That night he tossed and turned in his four-poster bed. His sheets where getting tangled with his legs as he dreams of running towards Hermione, trying to save her but it seemed the faster he ran the farther away she got. He could see Avery Binns, his potions apprentice, laughing like a lunatic as he leaned over her.

Even his wand seemed to have no way of helping him. He shot every curse he could think of; even the Cruciatus Curse did nothing to stop him from tightening his grip on Hermione's throat. He screamed over and over for him to leave her be. To not touch the witch he was falling in love with. Just as Avery pointed his wand at Hermione's chest, Severus jumped in hopes that he could pull the man's hand away before he said the killing curse. Not caring that he might be to far away. He had to try; he had to save his witch!

Severus came a wake on an oath as he fell from his bed and hit the floor. "Bloody hell!" He stood up and brushed off his silk pajama pants and his bare chest. He didn't even bother climbing back into bed. He knew there was no chance of him sleeping. Not until he caught Avery and made sure Hermione was safe.

"Avery better find a good hole to crawl into. Once I find him I'm going to make him beg for mercy!" He growled as he stormed from his bedchamber to his office slash library, where he poured a generous helping of Firewhiskey and threw it back in one swallow. Then he poured another, sat in the chair in front of the fire, and nursed it until the morning light.


	4. Rumors and Punishments

Chapter 4

Hermione couldn't wait for her last class. She was having a horrible day and starting to understand how Harry felt after Cedric's death. The rumors and the lies were horrible. One Slytherin seventh year had the nerve to ask her why she would say a pureblood would ever touch a filthy mudblood like her? She was being pushed into or bumped by every Slytherin that came by her. Sometimes it seemed like they were starting to search her out. Just then Pansy walked into her for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"God, just leave me alone! I didn't ask for this, damn it!" Hermione shouted. She couldn't bite her tongue anymore.

"Miss Granger! In my office now!" Severus shouted. He'd just stepped out of his office and saw Pansy deliberately walk into her. "And Parkinson, twenty points from Slytherin."

"But Professor…"

"Make it forty. And tell the rest of the Slytherin's there's a house meeting after dinner." Severus was not going to put up with his house attacking an innocent girl, Gryffindor or not.

"Sir, I have a class I need to get to. Can we do this later?" Hermione asked. She just wanted to go back to her dorm and hide under her covers.

"I know for a fact you don't have a class, so please, don't insult either of our intelligence by lying." Severus said as he walked toward the door that led to his study. "Please follow me." Hermione let out a deep sigh. Why couldn't her teachers just let her be? It was hard enough dealing with the students; she didn't need the teachers giving her any grief either.

"What can I help you with, Sir?"

"There are a couple of things you can do for me, Miss Granger." As he sat down he pointed his wand at the teapot until it started to whistle, then he said a silent spell to have it pour and slowly move a cup to Hermione. "First, I'd like you to allow Mister Malfoy to escort you to and from your classes. I've approved it with the Head Master and Draco has agreed to it already."

"That's not necessary, sir." Hermione objected as she placed her teacup on the table next to her.

"It's not negotiable, so please don't interrupt again, Miss Granger. Second, I want you to come directly to me if and when anyone gives you a hard time about your attack of if they continue to walk into you like I witnessed earlier."

"Sir…" Severus held up his hand for silence.

"Please, Miss Granger, I'm barely holding on to my rage at what happened to you. After I've finished you can ask as many questions as you want." Hermione shut her mouth and nodded for him to continue. "Third, if you see or hear from Avery, again, come directly to me. If you hear of a student having contact with him, come directly to me. He's my apprentice, which means I am responsible for him. Can you do that for me, Hermione?" Severus asked, not realizing that not only did he use her first name, but he'd spoken to her with a gentleness he never even used for Lily.

"Yes sir." Hermione was shocked by it, but after he warning about his temper she didn't want to point out. "Sir, I really don't wish for you to punish the students for their reactions. We all thought of Avery as an older brother or a close friend. They're just in shock, sir."

"That does not excuse them from calling you filthy names or running into you! Miss Weasley told me how you refused a pain-killing potion last night though you could barely move! I saw you grinding your teeth during my class because you were in pain! I will not have you hurt more, Hermione!" Severus couldn't hold back his anger. How could she justify their treatment of her? He thought. "You shouldn't even be up and around yet as it is! You are feeling more pain then you should be. We don't know what he might have done to you or if it's a potion that went wrong!"

"Honestly, Professor, I'm fine, just a little twinge here or there when I turn wrong."

"Little twinge? Don't lie to me, Granger! I saw the tears streak down your cheek, damn it!" Severus got up and turned from her towards the window. "God, if I had only come back sooner. I could have stopped him!"

"Sir." Hermione slowly stood up from her chair, and walked toward him. "Professor." She stood there and waited for him to turn to face her. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on his arm. "Severus, you couldn't have stopped him. It was like he was possessed."

"Gods." Severus turned around and pulled her into a hug. "It still doesn't stop me from taking the blame. If it weren't for me, he never would have been here to do this to you. He'd never have been able to hurt you, Hermione."

"Professor, you can't blame yourself. It's no ones fault but his." Hermione said as she cried on his shoulder. This time her tears where for him and his feelings of guilt.

There was a knock at the door, causing the two to separate. Severus didn't want to let her go. She felt so good in his arms and he wanted to do all he could to sooth her fears.

"Enter." He called to the door as he handed Hermione a handkerchief to dry her eyes.

"You sent for me, Sir." Draco said as he entered the room. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Professor Snape just called me in here to let me know that you'd be walking me to and from class." Hermione handed back the handkerchief to Severus and then turned to Draco. "And he let me know he wants me to come straight to him if anyone gives me a hard time and if I see or hear from Avery."

"Good. I'll let you know if she's keeping something from you, Snape."

"Thank you Draco. By the way, make sure the Slytherin's know about the house meeting. I doubt very much Miss Parkinson remembered my orders."

"Will do, Snape. Come on Hermione, lets get you into bed where you can rest." Draco held out is arm to Hermione, and wrapped it around her shoulder as she came next to him.

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said over her shoulder as she looked back at him. Is that longing I see in his eyes? She asked herself as she walked away. She just shook her head, I'm just seeing what I want and reading too much into him speaking so gently to me. God I can't believe I slipped up and called him Severus as if he were mine. With that last thought she listened to Draco babble on about his relationship with Ginny.

* * *

><p>"You old fool!" Severus cursed himself after Hermione left. He couldn't believe how gently he'd spoken her name. I never uses the first name of a student, except for my godson. Hell most of her friends call her Granger or Mi. He thought as he pulled out his bottle of Firewhiskey. "But she did call me by my name! That has to mean something right?" He asked himself aloud.<p>

"Severus, I'd like to see you in my office, please." Albus's Phoenix patronus said as it entered Severus's study.

"What could this bloody old fool want now?" He asked aloud. He put the bottle back where he found it, knowing he wouldn't have time for even a sip.

"Creevey, ten points from Gryffindor!" Severus called out as he walked out of his office and straight into the poor Creevey boy.

"But sir, you ran into me!" He shot back from where he landed on the floor.

"Make that another ten for a grand total of twenty points, Mr. Creevey." Severus snapped over his shoulder as he turned the corner towards Albus's office.


	5. Meetings

Chapter 5

"You wanted to see me sir?" Severus said as he entered the Headmasters office with out knocking.

"Yes, Severus. Thank You for joining me so quickly." Albus said as he turned from his window. "I've been told that you have actually cracked down on your house for how they have been treating Miss Granger." He looked at Severus to see how he would react to that.

"Sir, it's not her fault, and as much as I may dislike Gryffindor, the last thing any girl from any house should have to deal with is the other children blaming her for what happened." Severus glared at the older man. "Besides I thought you wanted me to crack down more on the Slytherin house?"

"Oh, I do, I do Severus. I just didn't expect you to do it so soon. Especially over, oh how did you put it… Ah, yes, that insufferable know-it-all." Albus said with a knowing smile.

"And what is that suppose to mean, Albus? I'd do the same if it were Weasley or Lovegood. Just like I would for Parkinson or any of the other girls in the castle." Severus defended. He felt like he was being put on trial. Beyond his thoughts, he had not done anything that would cause Albus or those above him to question his actions. But thankfully no one can read my mind. Except maybe Albus…

"I understand that Severus, and I'm not implying anything. Except… Severus, I've known you since you went to school here. I've never seen this look in your eyes. Not even for Lily. She is of age and I know you would never force your feelings on to her, but until she either graduates or tells you her feelings, you need to guard yourself even more." Albus said.

"What do you mean 'until she tells you her feelings'. Has she told you something?" Severus tried to act nonchalant but knew he failed.

"She has not told me anything. Nor, I don't think, has she told her friends." The twinkle in Albus's eyes was starting to get on Severus's nerves. Damn old bat always did love stringing people along! He thought to himself.

"Well, Albus, if you'll excuse me, I have a house meeting to start." Severus said, turning around and leaving the room with his robes billowing behind him. "He really has mastered that hasn't he, Fawkes." Albus said to his phoenix.

"Poor fool finally knows what it's like to completely lose his heart to someone." With that last thought, he turned back to the window he had just been peering out of.

* * *

><p>"SILENCE!" Severus shouted at the students of his house. "I swear, I will have you all in detention until you graduate, and deduct so many points from you all that for the first time in Hogwarts history a house will finish out the school year with negative points!"<p>

"Professor, how do you know she isn't lying, though?" A fifth year piped up.

"Because I found her, you bloody idiot! I'm the one that had to clean up the mess that Binns left behind." Severus snapped.

"She probably just got scared that she was going to be caught fooling around instead of patrolling like the little goody-goody she pretends to be." Pansy said to the girl sitting next to her, causing her to snicker.

"No you bitch! It's because she was fucking raped!" Draco shot at Pansy. "God you all are still so wrapped up in the 'importance' of blood that you fail to see the horror and the cowardice act for what it actually is. Professor, please tell me there's a way to transfer out of this bloody house! I can't stand to be connected to these bloody morons!"

"Dr… Draco, you've never spoken to me like that." Pansy said before running off to her room in tears.

"Well said, Draco. As for your wish to transfer, you can ask the Headmaster, but as far as I know, no it's not possible." Severus said. He was proud of his godson. Even after having to deal with his family and the decision that where made for him, he had managed to keep a good heart and a pure soul in him. Not an ounce of his father in him, thank god. He thought.

"Sir, do you mind if I say something to the house?" Draco asked. Severus stepped down, allowing Draco to take his spot. "Look, yes she's been annoying in the past with how she always knows everything, but did that mean she deserved to be raped? So she's a Gryffindor, does that mean she deserved being violated? She's a muggle born, does that mean she deserves her first ever experience at sex to be of pain and horror? No! And the way you all are treating her is ridiculous. Even when my father was sent to Azkaban, I've never felt this ashamed to be from the House of Slytherin. And I don't care if it gets me expelled, if I see any of you 'accidentally' bump into her, call her a mudblood, or anything that will cause her to cry or not show up to her next class, I will hex every one of you within an inch of your life." With that Draco turned and left the dorm.

"Professor, aren't you going to do something?" A seventh year asked.

"Yes, fifty points from Slytherin because of Miss Parkinson. And the next time you do anything that causes Draco to hex you, you'll lose the house one hundred points." With that Severus left the house to absorb those threats.


	6. Pleas and Demands

Chapter 6

"Professor, please stop!" Hermione said as she walked up to his desk during lunch. "You've only made it worse! I could handle the bumps and the mudblood calls, but now your entire house is against me! I can't even get into the library or to a restroom half the time because they block the way! Why couldn't you just leave it be?"

"I will not have you bullied or blamed for something that isn't your fault!" Severus snapped. He was trying to help her and instead of saying thank you, the insufferable know-it-all, was mad at him? He just couldn't understand her. He just wanted to keep her safe. "You will tell me there names and I will leave it to Professor Dumbledore to think of the proper punish-"

"No, I won't! I will not help you alienate me even more from the rest of the students! I told you, they are only upset because we all viewed Avery as a friend or brother!" Hermione yelled.

"It has been Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle, sir." Ginny said from behind her.

"Damn it, Ginny. Shut up!" Hermione whirled around, but quickly dropped her books and grabbed onto the table in front of her.

"Hermione!" Severus felt his heart jump to his throat when she let out a yelp of pain. Before he knew it he was around his desk and had her in his arms in seconds. "Weasley go get the Headmaster and Madame Pomfrey. Quickly."

"I'm fine, I just moved wrong." Hermione said breathlessly.

"Bullshit. Now, tell me how much pain you're in." Severus said as he leaned against it desk to slowly slide them down to the floor, Hermione sitting on his lap.

"Not much."

"Don't you dare lie to me, Granger!" Severus warned.

"Okay, okay. It feels like I'm being ripped apart." She said as she started crying harder.

"Shh, Hermione. Just lean your head on my shoulder." Severus whispered. "When you can, I need you to tell me what you remember from that night. What Avery was doing when you looked into the classroom."

Hermione just nodded her head and cried on his chest. It felt so good to have him hold her but she was scared of being seen by Pansy or any other Slytherin that may ass by the open door. Just what I need, another rumor that I'm shagging Severus to go along with the rumor that I shagged Avery willingly. She thought to herself as Ginny came back, followed by Albus and Poppy.

"What happened?" Albus asked.

"She turned to stop Weasley from telling me what group of Slytherin's had been blocking her way to the library and to the restrooms, when she dropped her things and grabbed onto the desk to stay on her feet. She says her pain level is an eight or nine. He had to have cursed her or a potion went wrong and he some how transferred it to her." Severus said.

"I'll get her a stronger pain potion." Poppy said, before turning to leave the room again.

"I want their names as soon as you have them Severus. Miss Granger, you are to not attend your classes until your pain is gone or until we figure out what Avery did to prolong and intensify your pain, do you understand?" Albus asked.

"Yes, sir. But what about my class work and homework?" She asked, not bothering to turn her head from the soothing sound of Severus's heartbeat. It was rapidly beating when he first took hold of her, but now it was slowing down to a normal rate.

"Always the worrisome know-it-all, aren't you Miss Granger?" Severus said with a chuckle.

Albus smiled at the scene he was witnessing. Hermione's hands were holding tight to Severus's robes, not daring to let him go. While Severus's hands were holding Hermione close in his arms, his cheek resting against the top of her head. The worry and love evident in Severus's eyes. "Don't worry, Miss Granger. I'll have you teachers send you the work to your dorms, so that you can keep up to date with all your classes."

"Ginny, can you tell Harry and Draco that I want to talk to them?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'll make sure they're in the dorm by the time you get back." She said before turning and leaving.

Soon after that Poppy returned. "Here's the potion, but we should get her in bed before she takes it. It tends to put the patient to sleep soon after taking it."

"Thank you Poppy. Severus, why don't you let Miss Granger go so she can walk to her dorm?" Albus said, with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

"I'll just carry her. I don't want her to make the pain worse." Severus said, and before Hermione could object, he got to his feet with one arm under her knees and the other around her back, just under her arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Professor." Hermione whispered, leaning her head against his chest again and closing her eyes. She didn't much want to see the other students staring at her. She got enough of that just by walking down one of the many halls.

"She's one of the Golden Trio, she shouldn't be with that traitor!" A girl called out.

"Fifty points from Hufflepuff. Miss Abbott, I'd like to see you in my office. I suggest you head there now." Minerva called out from her classroom doorway. "What happened?"

"Come with us, Minerva, best to talk about this in the dorm, then the hallways." Albus said, not bothering to stop.

"Ginny, let it go." Hermione said when she looked over Severus's shoulder to see Ginny and stopped and turned to face Hannah.

"Miss Weasley, please don't cause Miss Granger anymore undo stress." Severus snapped. He was tired of everyone still accusing him of being a traitor. Even after Albus came out of hiding, the rumors still flew that he was just waiting to help someone rise up and take Harry's life. Will it ever end? He asked himself as he shook his head and let out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry, Professor, this is all my fault." Hermione whispered, before laying her head on his chest and let the tears of guilt flow from her eyes, to soak through his robes.


	7. Memories and Kisses

Chapter 7

Severus set Hermione down on the couch as gently as he could, then pulled a blanket from the near by chair and laid it across her lap. "Do you need anything else?" He asked her sweetly.

"No, thank you, Professor." Hermione said with a shy smile. She could feel Minerva's eyes looking at them with question.

"Hermione! What happened?" Harry asked the minute he was through the doorway. "Who hurt you? I'll kill him!" He was so worried about her; she was like a sister to him.

"Harry, she just hurt herself turning too fast." Ginny said. Trying to call him down. "Now, why don't we go wait in our room with Draco, until the Professors are done talking to her?" Ginny suggested as she pulled Harry by the hand to have him follow her behind Draco.

Severus looked at the odd couple and then to Hermione, as if asking if what he thought was true. At Hermione's nod, he just shrugged his shoulders at sat in the chair closest to the couch.

"Now, Miss Granger, I need to know what you remember from that night." Albus said. "I understand if you aren't ready to remember that night but it is very important that we know as much as possible about that night. It maybe reveal the answer to how to take your pain away."

"I understand, Sir. I don't want to talk about it but I know I need to not only allow you to heal me physically but to heal me mentally." Hermione looked down at her hands, turning her ring round and round on her middle finger. "I know it's not my fault, be on bad days it's hard to believe that."

"You don't have to do this right now, Hermione." Severus said, taking one of her hands in his. "Albus, she is just slowly getting away from the pain, do you really need to do this now?"

"Severus! Of course he does. He needs all the information he can get to fix whatever it is Avery did to her." Minerva snapped.

"Minerva, I'm quite aware of what your husband needs to know but that doesn't mean that I'm going to allow him to interrogate the poor woman when she's having enough trouble dealing with the physical pain and the emotional pain of her classmates throwing mudblood and whore at her continuously!" Severus snapped.

"Professor, please." Hermione whispered, squeezing his hand to get his attention. "I want to talk about it."

"Okay, but the minute you need a break, just say so." Severus said, not letting her let go of his hand.

"Well, I was walking down the hall towards the potions classroom, making sure there weren't any students that had snuck down there after Draco left that hall, which has been known to happen." Hermione started.

"Wait, I thought Mister Zabini was to patrol with Mister Malfoy?" Minerva asked.

"He was, but Harry and I had gotten into an argument because of Ron. So I asked Blaise to trade posts with me for the night." Hermione said. At Minerva's head nod, she continued. "I hear movement in the potions classroom, and… I think I heard laughter." Hermione shut her eyes as if she was seeing it all again.

"_Who's in here?" Hermione asked firmly as she pushed the door open and walked into the classroom. She looked over and saw Avery wiping the potion off of his shirt. "Oh, I'm so sorry Avery, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought it might have been some students. I'll let you get back to it." Before she could walk out of the classroom she felt herself thrown across the classroom. "Ow! Avery, what are you doing?"_

"_Mmm, so pretty and sweet." Avery said in a guttural voice._

"_No, stop!" Hermione tried to push his hands away from her skirt, but she was no match for his strength. Soon her shirt was torn open and her skirt ripped up the side as he ripped her knickers off. "Please, Avery! Stop!" _

"_Shut up, mudblood. Be happy I'd stoup so low as to touch you!" He said with disgust dripping from every word as he wrapped his right hand around her throat. With his left hand he held her hands above her head. _

"ENOUGH!" Severus shot out. He couldn't take seeing the tears sliding down her cheeks, unnoticed by her. "That should be all you need, Albus. Once she's taken the pain potion, I'll go and look at the cauldron's he's been using." With that he picked her up and took her into her and Ginny's room.

"Professor." Hermione whispered. "I need you to do something for me."

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He tried to keep his voice normal; though hearing his name leave her lips was like sweet honey to his ears. He wanted to hear her say his name over and over. As he set her down on her bed, he pulled her blankets up to her chin, and moved her pillows for her, until she placed a hand on his arm.

"I need you to ask Professor Dumbledore to owl my parents." Hermione looked up at him. "I haven't had the heart to tell them what has happened. I mean, how do you put that in a letter? Dear Mum and Dad, Classes are great. Oh by the way I was brutally raped. Love your Daughter."

"Shush. I'll do it myself and make sure the house elves set up a room for them." Severus sat down next to her on the bed, holding her hand."I'm so sorry Hermione. If I had been there sooner I could have sto-"

Hermione stopped him by gently placing her lips on his. She meant for it to be quick but before she new it she was wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Mmm, Hermione." Severus leaned back. "I've wanted to do that ever since you were help Harry in the Department of Mysteries."

"Me too." Hermione said, her cheeks burning a bright red.

"Well, I better let Poppy come give you the potion so that you can sleep." With that he leaned down and kissed her again.

"Oh, sorry, Professor." Ginny said, quickly turning and leaving.

"Shit." Severus said.

"She won't tell anyone, sir. Don't worry." Hermione said. She watched as he walked to the door and then turned around.

"Hermione, you can call me Severus when it's just us. I mean, if you want to."

"Okay. Thank you… Severus." Hermione said with a small smile.

"I'll write your parents right away and let Albus know that they'll be here sometime tomorrow." With that he left the room.


	8. Accusations and Anger

Chapter 8

"And we're only just now being told about this?" Barely keeping from yelling at Severus and Albus, Kevin, Hermione's father, sat in the headmaster's office. "This is not all right, Dumbledore! Why were we not told as soon as you had found out?"

"Kevin, calm down. You're going to scare Mione." Amelia said. Hermione's mother was always the calmer of the two, even when things weren't good. Thanks to Albus, Hermione was able to find her parents and had the memory charm on them reversed.

"Mom, Daddy, it was my fault. I told them I would tell you but I just didn't know how to do that." Hermione looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her ring again. God, I knew I shouldn't have told them until it was all worked out. She thought to herself.

"Mister Granger. I understand this is hard for you, but we are doi-"

"Do you have children?" Kevin asked, cutting Severus off.

"No, but I car-"

"Then you have no idea how I feel."

"Daddy, please. Stop." Hermione said.

"No! I want answers. I want to know why he hasn't been arrested!" Kevin barked.

"Because I just told them what exactly happened. I didn't tell Severus or Professor Dumbledore until last night!" Hermione shot back. She didn't care that she had used his name instead of his title but he seemed to be the only one in the room that actually cared about how she felt.

"Hermione Jean Granger! I understand you are in pain and that you're scared, but… wait, why did you just call your professor by his first name?" Kevin shot an accusing look at Severus. "Isn't he the one that was working with that Vodermark or whatever he name was?"

"Voldemort was his name. And yes, I worked with him, but I was there by orders from Albus. You're daughter uses my first name because she confides in me when students are overly harsh to her or when the pain has gotten worse, so to make her feel more at ease I've allowed her to do so." Severus said, his signature smirk in place.

"Hermione, I don't want you going to him anymore. You are to go to Professor McGonagall or the headmaster." Amelia stated. "I will not have you risk your reputation by socializing with him outside of classes."

"Mom. I'm eighteen, making me an adult. You cannot pick and chose whom I socialize with. Like it or not, Severus is a friend and you won't stop me from being his." Hermione said, leaning forward in her chair, staring her into her mother's eyes.

"But, he's a criminal. He even has the mark!" Amelia said in a stage whisper, she had seen the Dark Mark tattoo on his arm when he had held his arm out as an invite. He forgot to roll his sleeves back down after working all night trying to figure out what the potion was that Avery had been working on.

"He's not a criminal Mother!" Hermione all but jumped up from her chair, and pointed toward Severus. "And you know what, I don't care if he has that tattoo. Because instead of being a coward like the rest of those bloody morons, he came to Dumbledore and used it for the side of light!" With that Hermione stormed out of the room.

"Albus, Minerva." He bowed his head slightly. "Mister and Mistress Granger." With that Severus left the room to find Hermione, as always his robes billowing behind him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kevin shot at Albus.

"As far as I've managed to gather, you're daughter is in love with him and he is quickly following suit. Or it could be the other way." Albus said absentmindedly. He leaned back in his chair; he continued to explain. "He's the one that found your daughter, has been the one that's helped her deal with the pain, not only her physical pain, but also her emotional pain as the students lash out at her. The majority of the students looked at Mister Binns as a friend or brother. You're daughter included."

"So I'm just suppose to be happy with that? Oh, he loves her so why worry?" Kevin said snidely. "I don't think so. She may be eighteen, but she's still his student! He's abusing his authority!"

"He has not acted on his feelings. Therefore, he has done nothing wrong. Hermione is the only one that has acted on it. And instead of embarrassing your daughter, he gave her the only intimacy he can, the privilege to call him by his name when they are alone or surrounded by people they can trust." Minerva piped in.

"Now, you both have quite a bit of information to absorbed and Hermione has requested that you both stay at the castle until she is feeling up to being here alone or until Mister Binns is caught. You won't be staying in her dorm, seeing as she shares that with Miss Weasley, Misters Potter and Draco. But your rooms are next to hers. Winky."

"Master called?" Winky said from the doorway.

"Yes, please show Mister and Mistress Granger to their rooms."

"Yes master. Follows Winky. Winky show you." She gestured to the door as Kevin and Amelia stood from their stairs.


	9. Girls First Date

Chapter 9

"I'm so sorry Severus." Hermione said when he came into his office. "I wasn't thinking. Other wise I would have referred to you as professor around my parents."

"It's okay, Hermione. Honestly, I haven't done anything I shouldn't have." Severus said as he sat next to her, their backs against his desk.

"That's not entirely true, though." She said looking up at him.

"Oh? Did I do something and not remember?" He knew what she was talking about but technically, she did it.

"Yes. The kiss!" She shot at him.

"Hermione, you kissed me, therefore I did nothing wrong."

She just stared at him, her jaw dropped. But he kissed me back… didn't he? She turned her head away and twisted her ring around her finger again.

"Would you stop doing that? You're going to end up putting a hole in your finger." He said as he grabbed her hand. "And don't worry so much. I did kiss you back, we just can't tell anyone until you graduate." He whispered as brought his lips to her throat, sending shivers down her spine. "Now, we need to talk about Miss Weasley and what she saw."

"She won't tell anyone. She's known how I felt about you for years." Hermione said. "I'll just remind her she can't tell Ron. He'd go nuts."

"Years?" That shocked Severus. He had always thought that she at the most respected him for his intelligence; not attracted to him on any level.

"Since my third year. When you came into the shack after us."

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask. What was it you and Harry fought about that night?" Severus asked as he intertwined his fingers with hers.

"I accidentally let slip to Luna that Harry is dating Ginny, as is Draco. I also explained to her, that yes, both boys know of each other and they to go out with Ginny at the same time. I was not aware of the fact that Luna is dating Ron or that Ron didn't know about Ginny and her boyfriends. Anyway, Ron was trying to fight Draco and when Harry tried to break it up Ron called him a traitor." With that, she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Seems rather pointless, if you ask me." Severus said.

"That's what I thought later that night." Hermione's smile faded.

"Why don't you have dinner with me tonight? I'm sure your parents are going to be exhausted from their travel and need time to absorb all that you have told them, and I don't want you to have to deal with the stares and names while you try to eat dinner." Severus offered.

"I'd love to." Hermione said, her smile back in place. "Well, I better go find Ginny and talk to her about the kiss and fill her in on what happened in Dumbledore's office." She didn't want to but she let Severus's hand go and got up to leave.

"Hermione, wait." Severus walked up behind her to the middle of the classroom, and with a wave of his hand shut the door of his classroom. "Come here." He held his arms out and once she was in his arms, he leaned down and kissed her. "See you tonight."

"See you tonight." Hermione said with a huge grin on her face.

Severus opened the door for her and once she was on her way, he went back to his desk and finished writing up all the names of the students Ginny told him about the night before. After the last name was written, which shocked him because it was a Gryffindor; he sealed it and sent it to Dumbledore's office via the floo.

"Time to figure out what you were working on Avery, you bastard." Severus said as he walked to the cauldron sitting on his worktable in the back of the room.

* * *

><p>"Don't worry, Mi. That dunderhead isn't even talking to me anyways." Ginny said as they sat on Hermione's bed. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't kiss him sooner."<p>

"Oh, shut up." Hermione said, slapping her friend's arm playfully.

"Okay, okay. So what happened?"

Hermione told her about her parent's reactions to not hearing about it until now and how she stormed out.

"She called him a criminal? Does she realize that if it wasn't for him that you, Harry, and my brother could have died?" Ginny said rather harshly

"No. I never told them about the stupid things we did in our first 6 years here. I haven't even given them the whole truth as to why I wiped their memories and didn't go to school until now. They think it's because of Tom and me being muggle born, but really it was to keep Harry and Ron from getting themselves killed." Hermione just shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't believe he forgot to cover up his arms. He never forgets." Ginny said thoughtfully.

"He was working on Avery's potion. He's trying to figure out what it is or what's in it. He thinks that it was suppose to be some kind of painkiller or something to do with the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. But he doubts that it did anything to effect his personality, so he's starting to think that his potion was to worsen the effects. With him having not taken his gloves off after wiping it off of his shirt, Severus thinks that he must have gotten some of it on me when he tore at my skirt."

Ginny looked into the fire, taking in everything. I need to talk this over with Harry and Draco. She thought to herself. "I'll make sure the boys don't say anything to Ron or Pansy about the way Snape has been with you."

"Thank you, Gin. You're a good friend." Hermione said as she hugged Ginny. "Oh, crap. I got to go. I'm having dinner with him." She said with a small smile and a blush.

"Rawr, go get him girl." Ginny said with a laugh as she walked out of the room to let Hermione get changed.


	10. Arguing and Love

Chapter 10

"We will not be spending Christmas here. And no you are not allowed to spend Christmas with the Weasley's. " Kevin said.

Hermione was trying to talk her parents into staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. They have never seen a holiday celebrated the way the wizarding community does it and she wanted to share that with them. But it seems my father wants to be a total dunderhead! She thought to herself.

"But, honey, if you like you're friend Ginny can spend some time with use. I remember you telling me how much she would like to visit the muggle world and experience how we do things." Amelia was hoping this peace offering would help smooth things out between her husband and her daughter.

"Okay. I'll ask her mum." Hermione said. "Dad, you know you can trust me and you can trust Severus. He would never do anything to mess up his reputation or job. His reputation as it is, is still messed up because the Ministry doesn't want to admit that it fucked up for so long, meaning that Harry, Ron, and I had to fight."

"Hermione, it was his doing that caused his reputation to take that kind of hit." Kevin said. "I don't understand why you want to defend the man that caused you such trouble for you first six years of school."

"He was a bloody double agent, Dad!" Hermione shot back. "He needed to make it look like he was a Death Eater so that he could keep the side of light safe! Why is that so god damn hard for you to understand?"

"Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me little girl!" Kevin yelled at his daughter.

"Then stop making him out to be some horrible person! If it wasn't for him you wouldn't have a daughter to yell at anymore!" With that Hermione left the dorm that her parents where staying in, walked past the Great Hall and out the doors. She didn't know where she was going; she just knew she needed to go. Before long she found herself on the far side of the Great Lake.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, what are you doing out here?" Severus asked as he finally got to her. He pulled his robes off and put them over her when he saw her start to shiver.<p>

"Nothing. Just trying to think and clear my head." She answered. "Thank you, Severus."

"What's going on, love?" He asked as he sat down next to her, pulling her into him as he wrapped his left arm around her.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. She wanted to spend Christmas at Hogwarts because she wanted to be with Severus. She wanted her parents to understand that Severus would never do anything to hurt her or that he would do something to ruin her reputation. He cares about me; he'd never want to do that. She thought. "Mum and Dad want me to go back to the muggle world for the holidays. They refuse to stay here because you'll be here. Dad doesn't understand my feelings and Mum is trying to be the peacemaker by letting Ginny go with us." Hermione just sighed and shook her head. "I just don't know what to do. Every time I defend you, he gets angrier."

"Then stop." Severus said. "You don't need to defend me, love. That's your father. He's your family, and they are more important then me."

"But you're important to me." Hermione whispered.

"I know, Hermione, I know." Severus said as he placed his finger under her chin, lifting her head to face him, and kissed her. He meant for it to be a quick kiss, but before he knew it he was pouring all of his emotions into that kiss. Showing her all the love that he had for her.

"I love you."


	11. Tattoos and Tickets

**A/N: This chapter is pretty long, but the rest of the chapters are about the same lengths as the chapters before this one.**

Chapter 11

Christmas break had finally come. It had been a week since Kevin and she had fought. She was thankful Molly let Ginny spend the holiday with her because things seemed to only get worse. Kevin would not talk to her about school. He didn't even like to have Ginny and Hermione talking about any of their classes. Especially potions.

"What do you mean you don't want to allow her to go back?"

"I don't want her going back there. First she was raped, now one of her teachers is taking advantage of her state of mind." Kevin said, one night after he over heard Ginny and Hermione talking.

"Kevin, don't you think you're overreacting?" Amelia asked. She was worried for her daughter as well, but her daughter was now eighteen. "We can't keep her here. She's eighteen, and if we even suggest it, we'll be pushing her away and we may never see her again."

"Then that just proves she's still acting like a child." Kevin said.

"Kev, you're being unfair. She just got us back in her life and now you want to push her out? I will not back you up on this." Amelia got up and headed towards the door, unaware that Hermione and Ginny were just outside, listening to everything. "She's my daughter, I won't lose her again, damn it!"

Hermione grabbed Ginny's hand and walked out the front door, slamming it behind her.

"Where we going?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know. I figured we'd just drive around or head to the mall." Hermione shot over her shoulder as they headed to her little blue Del Sol. "It's only six, so we could hit some of the clothing stores, if you want."

"Sounds good to me." Ginny said as she put her seat belt on. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, but I do want to tell you what happened the night I told you about Christmas." She looked at Ginny with a small smile. "It's about Severus."

"As long as it's not about shagging. I don't think I could live with that image in my head." She said with a laugh.

"No, I haven't even thought about that." Hermione said truthfully. "Even if I did, I don't think I could handle that right now. Not until Avery is caught." She was thankful that her parents didn't live far from the mall and soon they were pulling into the parking garage.

"Sorry, Mi." Ginny felt guilt for saying that, she was trying to lighten the mood after what Kevin said that she didn't even think about what she was saying. "I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's something we'll talk about soon." Hermione blushed a little. "Plus, I want to… with him. I just wish he was my first."

Ginny looked at her in shock, as she parked the car. "Hermione, he will be your first. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because of Ave…"

"No! When you and Severus are ready, he will be your first." Ginny got out of the car, Hermione following suit, and they headed to the entrance.

"But Avery took my innocence." Hermione took Ginny's hand to stop her. "He took my virginity Gin. I'd be surprised if Severus would want to touch me anytime soon."

"Stop it! Yes, he took your virginity, but you are still innocent. Severus is not the type to hold that against you. Look at what he has to deal with." Hermione's eyes started to tear up. "Oh, Mi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just don't want you letting Avery take anything else away from you."

"I know, Ginny, it's just hard." Hermione dried her eyes. "I want to hurt him as much as he hurt me."

Ginny grabbed hold of Hermione's hand in comfort and led the way into the mall. Soon they were talking about what Ginny wanted to get for Draco and Harry for Christmas. She had already gotten her parents and brothers a gift. Well, expect Ron, bloody moron! She thought to herself.

"Tattoos." Hermione said.

"What?"

"Let's get tattoos. That can be your gift to the boys." She grabbed onto Ginny's hand and went up to the girl waiting in line for the coffee kiosk. "Excuse me, miss? I was wondering where you got your tattoos done."

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ginny walked the two blocks to the tattoo parlor that the girl had told them about. Ginny wasn't sure what she wanted but she loved the idea. She was completely shocked that Hermione wanted one.<p>

"I never pictured you as a tattoo type of person." Ginny said.

"Well, I'm not but I just got this idea when I saw that girl. Especially after my date with Severus, and the night he, uh, said he loves me." Hermione said with a blush.

"He what? Oh my god, why didn't you tell me. You didn't even tell me about your date." Ginny said. She was so happy for Hermione and it was now making sense to her, why Hermione was feeling so anxious about Severus.

"Good evening ladies. How can I help you today?" The lady at the front desk asked.

"Hi, we were hoping to get tattoos today." Hermione answered.

"What where you looking to get?"

"Well, I'd like to get a snake wrapped around my finger." Hermione dug in her pocket and pulled out a ring. "I want it to look like this. Mostly green with the lining in silver."

"And for you miss?" The lady asked Ginny.

"I want three hearts on the inside of my right wrist. A medium sized heart in the middle with a smaller one on either side. I'll let the artist find a good way to connect them." Ginny said.

"Alright, give the artists a few minutes to draw it up and then they'll call you over."

Hermione and Ginny sat down to wait for the two men that would work on their tattoos. Hermione moved her ring from her middle finger to her thumb on her right hand. She was nervous as all get out but knew that she wanted to do this for Severus.

"Are you sure, Mi?" Ginny asked. She knew that her relationship with the boys was right for her and them. That it would last. Hermione had a bigger wall to jump not only because of the twenty year ago gap but also because he had been her teacher for seven years.

"Yes I am. I love him Ginny and nothing will ever stop me. Not even that bastard Avery." Hermione said.

"Good. Now tell me about your date." Ginny said.

"It was sweet. It was like a picnic. He had a blanket set out in front of the fireplace, and a basket with sandwiches and butter beer in it. We just sat there talking about different potions and books. He even let me borrow a book. Which he never lets anyone do."

"Excuse me, ladies? They're ready for you."

The girls got up and followed the lady back to the two men waiting for them. They both sat in black chairs, facing each other. Hermione's chair was facing the front of the parlor, her left hand resting on the over sized armrest to give the artist better access to her hand. Ginny mirrored Hermione. Her right arm resting on the armrest, her hand faced up so the artist could draw out the hearts on her wrist. He had it set up so that it was almost like a bracelet.

"What color did you want the hearts, miss?" Ginny's artist, Dom asked.

"The one on the left I want red with gold outlining it, the one on the right green with silver outlining it. The middle one red and green on the inside with the gold and silver outlining it." Ginny said. She wanted each heart to represent her boyfriends.

"I can do that. Is black okay for the band?" Dom said.

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you." With that Dom got started on Ginny's wrist.

Hermione was getting nervous again. She didn't much like needles and her pain tolerance wasn't very high, even after dealing with Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor and Avery's potion. "Marci said you where the best. But I'm still nervous."

"Miss, I can't promise it won't hurt, but I've been doing this for quite a while so I'm not heavy handed. That would be why Marci told you that. I'll do my very best to not cause you pain. If it gets too much, just tell me and we'll take a break, okay?" Joe offered.

"You'll be okay, Mi. We're close enough you can squeeze my hand if you need to, okay?" Ginny said.

"Okay, sounds good. Thank you." Hermione held her hand out for him as he drew the design on to her middle finger.

"You wanted green with silver lining, right?" At her nod, he continued. "You want a forest green or a lighter green?"

"Um, forest green. Maybe even a little dark if you have it." Hermione took a deep breath at Joe's head nod.

"So, Mi, what else happened on your date night?" Ginny asked trying to distract her from the pain. Dom was a pretty light-handed person as well; Ginny hardly felt anything until he got to the outside of her wrists where it was more bone then meat.

"Nothing much. Once we were done eating he leaned against the couch while I leaned against him, between his legs. I started reading the book he lent me and he was reading something about chemistry. Once I started to fall asleep he walked me back to my room." Hermione said. Taking into account that Dom and Joe would question why a man was reading about potions.

"That's so sweet, Mi." Ginny said.

The girls then lapsed off into talking about what they thought the boys got them for Christmas and if they thought they would like their gifts. Ginny was a little home sick but she was glad that she had come to spend the holiday with Hermione. Her friend was not having a great holiday break.

"Alright, ladies. You are all set." Joe said as he finished up Hermione's snake ring tattoo.

"It's amazing! Thank you so much!" Hermione said excitedly. She couldn't wait to show Severus when she got back.

"Yes, thank you Dom. This is amazing. My boys will love it!" Ginny replied.

After paying the artists and saying thank you again, they left to go back to retrieve Hermione's Del Sol. As Hermione pulled out of the parking garage she made a last minute decision and went towards London.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked as she saw a sign stating they were leaving Lambeth.

"I need to go to Diagon Alley. I thought of something to get Severus for Christmas." Hermione said. "Plus, I miss using magic. At least there we're allowed to do it."

It was just a five-minute drive, and before Ginny knew it, Hermione was parking near the Leaky Cauldron. They quickly walked into the pub and headed to the back. It was starting to get dark out and they knew Amelia would start to worry.

"There's a new Advanced Potions book that came out. I doubt he's taken the time to pick it up for himself. It will be the best gift to get him." Hermione said as she practically dragged Ginny to Flourish and Blotts. She found it and was happy she decided to go right then.

"Thank god! Ginny it's the last one. I'm going to go buy this and then we can hit the Quidditch story. I'm sure you can find something for the boys there." Hermione shot over her shoulder.

"You realize that Severus use to play, right?" Ginny said after Hermione hurried to the front of the store to join back up with her.

"No. How did you find that out?" Hermione said shocked.

"Draco told me. He doesn't talk about it much, but that isn't new with Snape is it?" Ginny said with a small giggle. As they walked into the store Hermione went towards the books and looked over what they had and then she saw a poster advertising the selling of tickets for a game between Bulgaria and Ireland.

"Found it!" Ginny called from near the back of the store. "I found a kit for Draco to use on his broom and Harry has been complaining that his gloves are getting too small."

"Perfect." Hermione said as she walked back there. "I'll get some gloves for Draco and the kit for Harry. What do you think?"

"Sounds good. They'll tease you though, you know that right?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, well what kind of friend would I be if I didn't give them that chance?" She replied with a laugh. "Oh, and I was thinking about getting tickets to the Bulgaria-Ireland game for Severus. What do you think?'

"You'll be the best girlfriend ever!" Ginny exclaimed. "If that doesn't get you a public 'I love you', I don't know what will."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

With that the girls walked to the register and paid for their items. Hermione couldn't wait to give Severus his gifts, but knew she had to. She was already pushing it with her dad by being out after dark and with out telling them where she was going.

In no time the girls where back at Hermione's parents house. Her mom asked how shopping was after she saw the bags the girls where caring. Ginny told her it was perfect, that they had managed to finish their last minute gift shopping. Amelia was happy to see her daughter in a good mood because of her friend. She offered them dinner, but the girls had stopped off at the Leaky Cauldron to eat, so they said their good nights and headed to Hermione's room.


	12. Gifts and Revelations

Chapter 12

The day after Christmas found Hermione and Ginny outside the Burrow. Hermione's mother understood why her daughter wanted to leave but that didn't keep her from feeling hurt. Hermione felt bad that she was leaving earlier but she couldn't be around her dad. Especially after he noticed her tattoo. Her mom thought it was sweet. She didn't like the fact that Severus was her teacher, but she knew that her daughter wouldn't do anything to mess with her education and that Severus felt the same about his job.

"I'm sorry your dad acted that way about the tattoo." Ginny said as they walked up to the Burrow.

"It's okay, Gin. He'll come around when he sees that this isn't some school fling or Severus playing on my insecurities because of the attack. Plus, I think a lot of it has to do with the attack. He wasn't able to protect me and that's hard for him to handle." Hermione said. She may be mad at her dad, but she still loved him very much and respected him. "It's just going to take some time." She said more to herself then Ginny.

"Ginny! Hermione!" Molly called out from the door. "What a surprise. I didn't expect to see you girls until the end of the school year." With that each girl was grabbed into a big hug and then pulled into another by Arthur.

"Hello girls. How was your holiday?" He loved his baby girl and he loved Hermione like she was his own as well. His heart still ached for her when he thought of her time spent trying to repair her parent's memories. Thankfully Dumbledore had come out of hiding soon after the war and was able to help. "How are you parents, sweetheart?"

"They're good. Mum sends her love." Hermione said as she walked into the kitchen where the Weasley boys, along with Harry and Draco, were sitting. "Hello boys." She hugged each boy.

"Ginny!" Harry and Draco got up at the same time and hugged and kissed her. They had missed her so much. Hermione was a bit jealous because she wanted to be greeted like that by Severus.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to see him soon." Harry said, knowing his friend so well.

"I know. It's just been hard with Dad."

Before the girls knew it what was happening they had been moved into the living room and handed gifts. Hermione got some books from Charlie, Bill, and Draco. Harry got her a new set of gloves for working with potions and George got her a muggle joke book and a love potion.

"You know, in case the dungeon bat changes his mind." George said before sliding away from his mom so that he wouldn't get smacked. But Hermione threw a pillow at him and hit him square in the face.

"So Ginny, did you show your boys what we got the other day?" Hermione asked. No one had noticed her left hand yet, so she figured that if Ginny went first it would lessen the shock.

"Oh no, not yet." With that Ginny pulled up her sleeves and then handed the gifts to the boys with her right hand.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley! What is that on your wrist!" Molly yelled.

"It's a tattoo. Hermione and I got tattoos a few days before Christmas. Mine represents me, Harry, and Draco." Ginny said as she showed the boys and her brothers.

"Wait, Hermione got a tattoo?" Molly said along with the older Weasley boys.

"Yes. It's a snake wrapped around my middle finger. See?" Hermione slid off her ring and held her hand out for everyone to look at it.

"Is it green and silver? As in Slytherin colors?" George asked.

"Yes, it's part of my Christmas gift to Severus." Hermione said defensively. She was tired of justifying her feelings for him to everyone.

"Cool." George said. "That artist did a really good job. Did it hurt?"

"Not really. He even offered to stop if I got to a point that I couldn't handle it. But Ginny and I were talking the whole time so I hardly noticed it."

Molly walked into the kitchen muttering something about the muggle world being a bad influence, so Hermione hurried in after her. She couldn't stand the idea of Molly being mad at her.

"I'm sorry Misses Weasley. I should have asked you before I suggested it to Ginny. It was just such a spur of the moment idea. Please don't be mad at me or hate me." Hermione said from behind where Molly was at, at the stove.

"Oh dear, no I don't hate you and I'm not mad at you. I just never took you girls for tattoos." Molly said as she hugged Hermione close. "How did you parents take it?"

"Mum thought it was sweet and dad hasn't really talked to me. He wanted to keep me from going back to Hogwarts. He thinks Severus is taking advantage of my state of mind."

"What kind of state of mind are you in dear, that Severus could take advantage of?" Molly asked confused.

"You… you don't know?" Hermione was shocked. She had assumed Ginny or Harry would have told the Weasley's what had happened.

"We weren't sure if you would be okay with them knowing what happened, Mi." Draco said from behind her. "We figured if you wanted them to know you'd either tell us to let them know or that you would do it yourself."

Hermione grabbed Molly's hand and walked her into the living room with the rest of the family. Ginny, Harry, and Draco sat with Hermione on the couch as Molly sat on Arthur's lap in his chair. George was sitting on the floor by the fireplace, Bill was sitting in a chair next to the couch and Charlie was sitting on the other side of the fireplace.

She didn't know how to tell them what had happened. Where do you begin with this kind of information? She asked herself. She started twisting her ring on her finger again, before stopping, as her finger was still sensitive because of the tattoo. Leaving her hands to start to play with the zipper on her jacket.

"Mi, it's best if you just tell them straight out." Harry said. "Don't over think it."

"About four weeks ago I was on patrol with Draco. We were down in the dungeons. I was walking by the potions classroom when I heard someone in there and what I thought was laughter. When I walked inside to see who it was, I saw Avery Binns, Severus's potions apprentice. The next thing I knew he threw me against the wall and he…" Hermione stopped to take a deep breath. She wasn't sure she could finish telling them what happened, but she knew she needed to. She wouldn't let him win. "He raped me."

The room quickly filled with an 'oh my god' from Molly and threats to kill him from all the Weasley men. She had a feeling that Albus would be getting quite a few owls from the Weasley demanding updates. This was why she loved the Weasley's. Any friend of their children became on of the family.

"But what does Severus have to do with that?" Asked George.

"He found me while I was waiting for Draco to come and get me." Hermione then went on to explain why she wasn't patrolling with Harry; how she had been fighting sever pain, and what Severus was doing to find out what Avery was working on. "Well I made the mistake of using his first name while dad and mum where in the office finding out about it. So dad thinks that Severus is using my situation. We've argued about it quite a bit."

Arthur tapped Molly's thigh to get her to stand up, then he got up and walked to Hermione. He pulled her into a hug before telling her, "It's just because he cares for you. He wasn't there to protect you and that's hard for him. It's hard for him to except that another man has been there for you and that loves you. He's not ready to let you go."

After everyone calmed down, the boys and Ginny went off to play some Quidditch and Hermione went up to the room she shared with Ginny so that she could take a nap. Once she got into the room, she changed into her Gryffindor sweats and a lose ACDC t-shirt, and then she pulled out the book Severus lent her, curled up in the bed and began to read.


	13. I Love You

**A/N: There are quite a few changes in this chapter from the original post. I just felt that Severus giving Hermione jewelry or anything like that was just too OOC for me. Hope you like the changes.**

Chapter 13

Hermione was nervous beyond belief. She wasn't sure how Severus would react to her tattoo. But she decided to show him and give him his gifts. It was their fist night back after the holidays. She wasn't sure if he was already in the Great Hall but she hoped he wasn't.

She walked into his classroom, becoming hopeful when she saw that the door was open, and knocked on the door that led to his chambers.

"Enter." Severus shot out at the door, not bothering to get up from his chair by the fire. He wasn't planning on going to the back to school feast tonight. He just wanted to spend sometime alone. He hadn't heard from Hermione during her vacation and he wasn't sure he wanted to see her, thinking that she had decided she didn't want him.

"Happy Christmas, Severus." Hermione said after closing the door and walking towards his chair.

"Hermione!" Severus got up from his chair and pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you so much."

"Oh, Severus, I've missed you too." She said before kissing him. She dropped the gifts in her hands to pull him closer to her. "I'm sorry I didn't write, but I didn't have much time to head to Diagon Alley to send letters and Ginny didn't bring Pig with her."

"How was your holiday?" He asked as he pulled her over to the couch and sat down, letting go of his disappointment at not hearing from her. Besides, she came straight to me instead of spending her first night back with her friends. He thought.

"It was okay. I think I would have gone insane if Ginny hadn't been there. We spent the rest of the holiday at the Burrow. We left after Christmas. Dad and I have been arguing a lot."

"I'm sorry, but other then that it was good?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Yes. I got some good gifts for the boys and the Weasley's. Oh and for you." With that she jumped up off the couch to grab the gifts off the floor. "Here."

"You didn't have to do that." He said as he opened the gifts. "This is amazing." He flipped through the book. He had been eyeing it but figured he'd have to wait to get it because every time he owled the store they didn't have anymore.

"I knew you'd like it. Here open this one." She handed the next box to him with her left hand, hoping he'd notice the tattoo on her finger.

"Two gifts? Hermione, you really didn't have to." He said, not noticing the tattoo. "Oh my! How did you know I liked Quidditch?"

"Well after Ginny and I got tattoos we went to Diagon Alley and Ginny told-"

"Wait, you got a tattoo?" Severus turned and looked at her, he thought she might have been joking.

"Yes, on my finger." She held out her left hand and showed him the snake.

"That's a snake… in Slytherin colors." He said barely above a whisper.

"Yes, it's part of my Christmas give to you." She said shyly, she was starting to feel foolish. "But I guess it was stup-"

He pulled Hermione into his lap and kissed her. He never thought she would do something so permanent to signify her love for him. She hadn't even said it to him yet. He was okay with that though, because he knew she was still skittish after things with how things turned out with Ron and then Avery, but he knew now with out a doubt that she loved him.

"You're amazing, Hermione." Severus said as he pulled back to look into her deep caramel eyes.

"I love you Severus." She said before kissing him again.

* * *

><p>"So? How did it go?" Ginny asked as Hermione walked into their room.<p>

"He loved it!" Hermione practically danced across the room to her bed. "We said I love you and he can't wait to see the game. At first I thought he hated the tattoo because he was so quiet when I showed it to him."

Ginny laughed as she watched her friend fall back onto her bed. "Of course he loved it! It's a permanent declaration of your love for him. What else happened?"

Hermione went on to tell her how they just sat together on the couch. Severus was reading the new book he got and Hermione was reading the Alice in Wonderland book that he had gotten her. They had another mini picnic dinner in front of the fireplace and then she kissed him good night for a good five minutes.

"Oh and he got me this." She held out a book to Ginny, it was a muggle classic, To Kill A Mockingbird.

"Isn't that the book that you were borrowing?" Ginny asked, she was a little confused as to why he would get her something he gave her already.

"It is, but he went out and bought a new copy for himself and gave me his original copy. I didn't expect him to get me anything, Gin." Hermione said. "He continuously surprises me. I'm just happy knowing that he's there for me to go to when I need someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on."

"Did you tell him that?" Ginny asked as she made room for Hermione to get into her bed.

"Yes. He replied by kissing me some more." She said with a giggle as she crawled under the covers. The girls fell into a pleasant silence as they looked out their dorm window. They loved having each other close on nights like this. They were like sisters and had gotten use to each other presence next to them. Some nights Hermione's pain was so bad that Ginny would lay behind her and hold her close while Hermione held her hand in a death grip to try and get passed the pain.

"At least tonight's a good night." Hermione told Ginny, knowing her friend would understand she meant Severus and the fact that she wasn't in pain. Soon both girls where fast asleep, wrapped up in dreams of their loved ones. They woke the next morning with smiles on their faces and ready to face whatever the day threw at them.


	14. Threat

**A/N: In case you where wondering "Amor tueri", the password Hermione gives the portrait of the milkmaid, means love untarnished**.  
><em>Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, if I did I'd have made Draco a good guy after the 3rd year and put Severus and Hermione together during the 6th year.<em>

Chapter 14

Pansy, Vincent, and Gregory were still trying to harass Hermione but with Draco walking her to every class it didn't faze her much anymore. The other students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had stopped after getting a month of detention and a hundred points taken from them by Dumbledore.

"She's just jealous." Draco said. "She doesn't like the fact that I broke up with her after the war."

"I know, Draco. I really don't care anymore." Hermione said. Pansy had been the one that noticed her tattoo in their Transfiguration class and announced it to the whole class. She didn't mind though. It wasn't like she had gotten it somewhere that no one would have noticed.

"Why's that, Mi?" He asked as they headed to their Head Boy and Girl dorm.

"She's obviously insecure about herself. Why else would she feel the need to pick on people?" Hermione said with a shrug of her shoulder. "She's already trying to link us together since my tattoo, but honestly, I don't mind if they think it's you and me. As long as the real reason stays private." Soon they were standing in front of the painting of a milkmaid and she gave the password. "Amor tueri"

Once the two where in the common room they dropped their book bags by the coffee table and went off to their separate dorms. Hermione was ready for her sweats and t-shirt. Thank god there's no one to impress in here. She thought to herself as she threw on her clothes from the night before.

Before heading back to the common room, she made Ginny's bed. Neither girl had, had time that morning to do it. Ginny hardly ever made it, but Hermione liked thinks to look put together, even if she was looking like a mess. As she walked by her bed, throwing her hair up in a messy bun, she saw a letter on her bed.

Not bothering to see who it was from, thinking it was from Severus, she tore it open and began to read it.

**Mudblood,**

**Don't think I've forgotten about you. You should be more careful about where you go at night and where you spend your holidays. I'll be seeing you soon.**

**Avery**

"DRACO!" Hermione screamed.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as he ran into her room in nothing but sweats. He had been changing when she screamed, but hadn't bothered to grab a shirt to throw on.

"Draco, go get Severus! NOW!" With that she sank down to her bed as he ran back out of her room.

* * *

><p>"Severus!" Draco yelled as he ran into the potions classroom. Some of the girls gasped as they saw his six pack glistening with sweat, even though it was a short distance the added fear of hearing Hermione scream had him breaking into a cold sweat as he ran from her room.<p>

"Malfoy, I have a class going on." Severus snapped at the interruption and the fact that his godson didn't at least have the courtesy to use his last name among the other students.

"It's Mi, Severus! Something's wrong!" Draco yelled back. Not caring that the class was full of fifth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.

Severus turned around from where he was standing at the blackboard. Even though he wrote on the board by hand, rather then magic, he some how managed to never get a speck of chalk dust on his robes. He also managed to never break his chalk, not even when he got frustrated with Hermione's many questions. But at the mention of Hermione being in trouble, the chalk in his hand broke in to ten different pieces.

"Class dismissed!" Severus shot over his shoulder as he ran from his classroom. "Draco, go get Albus and Minerva. Move boy!"

Thanking Albus over and over that Hermione's dorm wasn't far from his classroom, Severus was giving the password to the milkmaid in less then a minute. "Granger!" The fear causing him to sound more like the evil potions professor he portrayed to the students, rather then a worried boyfriend. "Where are you, Hermione?"

"Severus!" Hermione called out as she ran from her room to run into Severus's arms. "He wrote me. I found the letter on my bed. Oh god, how did he get into my room? He's been following me. He knew about my holiday and he knows about me meeting up with you at night!"

"Hush now, Hermione. Where's the letter?" Severus asked as he pulled her onto couch. "I need the letter to give to Albus. For all we know, a house elf delivered it for him. He wouldn't have been able to get in here. Even knowing the password he wouldn't have been allowed in because the paintings have been told to not let him in anywhere."

"It's in my room." Hermione said as clung to his robes. "No! Don't leave me!"

"Miss Granger, I need to get the letter. I'll be right back, I promise." Severus tried to snap her out of her haze of fear by using her title rather then her first name as he tried to gently pry her hands away from his robs. "Please Hermione, you need to let me go." When she finally let go, he entered her room as fast as he could with out running.

"Hermione what happened?" Ginny asked as she ran into the dorm closely followed by Draco, Minerva, and Albus.

"She found a letter on her bed from Avery." Severus said as he walked out of the room. He handed the letter to Albus as he sat down next to Hermione. "I read it and it has me worried. We need to owl her parents as soon as possible, as well as the Weasley's. He knows where she spent her holiday."

Hermione all but crawled into Severus's lap, clinging to his robes again, hiding her face in his neck. She felt Ginny sitting next to her, running her hand up and down her back. She just wanted to go back to before Avery raped her. To a time before she was afraid to sleep or move. She wanted to be safe again.

"Minerva, why don't you go take care of the owls and I'll go get Poppy and have her bring a calming draught." Albus said. He had read over the letter, and there was really nothing he could get from Hermione that would help them find Avery. There was no point to question her, especially with the state of fear she was dealing with. "Severus, why don't you go question the house elves and leave Miss Granger with Miss Weasley and Mister Malfoy."

"Alright, Albus. I'll go talk to the elves right no-"

"NO!" Hermione screamed and wrapped her arms around Severus's neck and pulling herself onto his lap. "Don't leave me Severus. Please!"

"Okay, okay." Severus said, holding her to him.

"Miss Granger, I'm sure your parents are going to be here early tomorrow, as well as the Weasley's. Would you prefer them to have their own dorms again, or bunk in here with you?" Albus asked.

"Their own dorm. I can't handle my dad right now." Hermione's voice came out as a muffle, she refused to move her head from Severus's shoulder. Severus could feel her jaw clenching and unclenching as the pain intensified. "Oh god! Gin, the potion. Please."

Hermione's fear must have triggered her pain. Before sure knew it she was digging her nails into Severus's shoulder and grinding her teeth. Ginny ran back into the common room and handed the potion to Severus.

"Here, Hermione." Severus held the vial to Hermione's lip until she moved her hand from his shoulder to take it from her. "Drink the rest, Albus can have Poppy bring some more with her."

"Please, just make it all stop." Hermione begged.

Severus looked at Albus with a silent request to remain with Hermione through the night. He nodded silently in approval before turning to the doorway as Harry came walking through.

"What's going on?" Harry asked the minute he saw Hermione, and the worried look on his girlfriends face.

"Severus and the girls will fill you in Harry. I need to get to the hospital wing and Minerva needs to go send some letters." With that the professors left the room.

Ginny took Harry into his dorm and filled him in on what happened. Draco soon followed, trying to give his godfather and friend sometime alone. He was worried her parents would take her out of school, but knew that even if they did, it wouldn't help. Hermione was a strong girl and was going to put up a fight. Hopefully, she won't give up and won't push Severus away. He thought to himself.

Severus held Hermione as she fell asleep in his lap. He was thankful Albus didn't give him a hard time about staying with Hermione. Not that it would have stopped me, if I couldn't stay here, then I would have just taken her to my chambers. He thought to himself as he lifted her up and walked into her room. After gently laying her down on her bed, he took off his robes, button down shirt, and shoes before climbing into the bed behind her. He may not be comfortable in his slacks and under shirt but he didn't want to scare Hermione by being in less.

Albus and Poppy found Severus holding Hermione close to him in a lose grip, fast asleep. Most Headmasters would have frowned upon this, but he knew that both Severus and Hermione not only needed each other, but also deserved each other. Severus had given up a lot by becoming a double agent, and Hermione had been taken advantage of, taking away some of her inner strength. I do hope Mister Granger realizes that Severus loves his daughter more then he's ever loved anyone in his life. Albus thought as he walked out of the room, closely followed by Poppy.


	15. Nightmare

**A/N: Again a few changes in this chapter. Severus may come off a little more OOC in this chapter, but it just felt right to have him worrying over her as she struggles to free herself from a nightmare.  
><strong>

Chapter 15

_Hermione was trying to run, but her feet wouldn't move. She screamed for Severus as she felt Avery's arms wrap around her. She tried kicking her feet but it was like something was holding them in place. _

"_Shut up mudblood!" Avery whispered harshly in her ear. "No one is going to find you this time."_

"_Severus!" Hermione yelled. "Severus, help me!" She screamed as she saw him in the distance but he couldn't come any closer. _

"_He doesn't want you anymore. You're blood isn't pure enough for him and I got to you first." Avery said on a chuckle as he threw her to the ground and got on top of her. "Now, lets have some fun" He said as he pulled out his wand._

"_Crucio!" He said as he pointed his want at her._

"Wake up Granger! Wake up now, damn you!" Severus all but yelled as he held her close and shook her. "Wake up Hermione! I'm right here, you need to wake up!" He was so scared. First she had been saying his name, but then when she screamed like she was being tortured and he saw what she was dreaming of he thought his heart would break.

"Severus! Don't leave me, please!" She whimpered once she stopped screaming. "Severus, it hurts." Hermione slumped against his chest once the tension in her body went away.

"I won't leave you Hermione, I'm right here. You just need to wake up and open your eyes." Severus said, holding her closer to him. "Please, love. I need you to wake up and look at me."

Slowly the dream started to fade as the she breathed in Severus's sent. It was a mixture of odd spices from brewing potions and the smell of a new book. It was what had Hermione loving potions her first year. As much as she hadn't like Severus at first, she never minded serving detention in his classroom.

"Severus?" Hermione asked quietly as she started to wake up.

"It was just a bad dream, love. But I've got you and you'll be okay." Severus said as he tightened his hold a little more around her and kissed her forehead, eyes, cheek, and finally her lips. "I've almost found a way to take the pain away. Soon you'll be better."

"I won't be better until you catch that bloody bastard, Severus." Hermione said as she curled up in his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head above his heart.

"Don't worry, love. I'll get him and he'll never hurt you again." Severus said in a guttural voice. He'd kill him if he had to, whatever it took to make sure his witch was safe.

"Mi, are you okay?" Ginny asked from behind the door.

Severus just shook his head; he should have realized that Hermione's screams would have reached the other couple across the common room. "You can come in, Gin. She's fine."

Ginny, Harry, and Draco walked in. Worry written across their faces. Harry had heard Hermione first, and had woken Draco up and they pulled out their wands and check the common room to make sure no one was there before getting Ginny. Ginny had come awake at the sound of Hermione's scream of pain. Her first thought was Avery got into their room, and pulled her wand out and almost hexed Draco as he walked into their room.

"What happened?" Harry demanded, staring at Severus, thinking that he might have done something to her.

"Harry!" Ginny and Hermione said at the same time, seeing the look in his eyes.

"It's okay girls. He's just worried about his friend. She had a nightmare that involved Avery pinning her to the ground and using the Cruciatus curse on her." Severus answered for Hermione, who just looked at him questioning how he knew. "I used legilimency to figure out what was causing you to call out in your sleep. I'm sorry, Hermione, but I was worried." Severus said; he knew that he had possibly crossed a line but he'd do it again if she woke him up that way.

"I understand, Severus." Hermione said, resting her head against his chest again.

"Well, looks like everyone is awake and in Hermione's room." Albus said from the common room, walking the Grangers and Weasleys into the dorm.

"What the hell is he doing in bed with my daughter?" Kevin demanded, Amelia gasped and the Weasleys just gave a knowing look to Severus. They saw the love for Hermione in his eyes.


	16. Insecurity

**A/N: Hope you enjoy Hermione's blow up at her Dad. **

Chapter 16

"Well, Mister Granger, Hermione and Severus are a couple." Ginny said. She wasn't going to let Kevin bully Severus. He made Hermione happy and he made her feel safe. No one was going to take that away from her friend, not even Hermione's father.

"No. It ends now!" Kevin demanded. "I can't believe you are allowing this Albus!"

Amelia tried to pull Kevin out of the room, she wanted to talk to him and get him to calm down before he scared their daughter. She could see that something bad had happened before they came into the room. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to be scared of her own father.

"Dad, it's not going to end. Dumbledore isn't stopping it because nothing has ever happened. Severus stayed with me last night because of the letter I received from Avery." Hermione said as she lifted her head from Severus's chest and looked her father in the eyes. "If you don't like it, there's the fucking door." She said pointing to it. "And don't bother coming back. I won't let you or Avery or anyone take away what makes me happy."

Severus was going to try to calm her down. She had shocked everyone with that f bomb she dropped on her dad. "Hermi-"

"No, Severus. I won't let anyone take you from me. My family is important to me, but you are too." Hermione said.

"Yes but he's your father." Severus tried to reason with her. He'd never had a father in his life, and he didn't want Hermione to ever have to experience that.

"Severus, you're right, he's her father, but you give her what we can't. You give her the ability to feel normal in this world that has become her home." Amelia said. "I may not have approved in the beginning, but now I see how jaded I was by things I did not understand. I apologize for judging you before getting to know you."

"It's quite alright, Mistress Granger." Severus said.

"I appreciate you saying that, but it isn't." Amelia said before looking at her daughter. "I'm sorry baby girl. I'll try to talk some sense into your Dad. He'll come around. It's just hard because he still sees you dressed up like a princess when you were three."

"Thank you mum." Hermione replied. She loved her parents, and she was thankful her mom was so reasonable and was willing to help her with her dad.

Albus and Minerva had watched what had happened. Severus hadn't let his temper get the better of him with Kevin, and they both knew that it was Hermione's doing. She had changed him for the better and neither was aware of it. "Well, why don't we get you lot settled into your rooms and give the couple a chance to fully wake up and get dressed." With that Albus lead the way out and headed to the neighboring dorms.

"Hermione, I love you with all my heart, but I don't want you choosing me over your family." Severus said as they got out of bed.

"Weren't you listening? I don't have to. Dad will come around." Hermione replied. She wasn't giving up on Severus, and she wouldn't let him push her away. "So if you want to be rid of me, you better just say it. Don't use my family as an excuse." With that Hermione went to leave the room.

"Damn it, Granger. I'm not using your family as an excuse or trying to be rid of you!" He grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Don't throw that at me and then walk away."

"Well what am I to think when you start out with how much you love me but then tell me to pick my family over you?" Hermione asked in defense.

"Then ask me what I meant. Don't accuse me of not wanting you and then storm off!" Severus shot at her. "You want a relationship with me then you need to talk to me! Don't just get pissy and storm off!"

Hermione pulled her arm out of his hand. "I don't get pissy!" She yelled at him and left the room.

Severus didn't want to have an argument with her, especially in front of her friends, but realized he was going to have to do that for her to realize that he wasn't giving up on her. "Fine, you want to have this out in front of your friends, so be it." He said as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Ginny, Harry, and Draco where sitting on the couch, still in there pajamas. They had just started eating breakfast that Winky had brought up from the kitchen for them. Albus felt it best if the group didn't eat with the rest of the school given the gossip and rumors flying about.

"What the hel-" Harry was interrupted by an elbow to the ribs by Ginny.

"I don't want to have this out at all. You made it clear that you don't want me, so I would say that means this is over." Hermione shot at him.

"That's bullshit and you know!" Severus was furious that she would think that he didn't want her. "If I didn't want you I wouldn't give two shits how your dad feels about this. I wouldn't care that he didn't approve!"

"Well then why don't you date him, if you are so worried about how he feels?"

Severus's wide stride brought him in front of her in what seemed like only two steps, grabbing her shoulders and shook her. "Bloody hell woman! I love you! I want you to be happy and I don't want you to start regretting being with me. I don't think I could handle you hating me!"

"I would never regret loving you! How could you think that? I will never hat-"

Severus cut her off as he pulled her against him and kissed her, pouring all of his feelings and worries into that kiss. He nipped at her bottom lip, causing her to open her mouth. He teased her tongue with his, taking the kiss deeper with in seconds. He couldn't lose her, not after realizing how much he loved her and how much he wanted to wake up and fall asleep next to her.

"I can't live with out you, Hermione." Severus said against her lips.

"Then stop trying to push me away!" She said as silent tears fell from her eyes. "I love you with all my heart Severus. I don't want anyone else, but I can't handle thinking that you're pushing me away because you don't want me. I can't handle thinking the reason you don't want me is because I'm tainted goods."

"What?" Severus was shocked, and wasn't sure what she meant. But Hermione was crying so hard against his chest that he couldn't understand what she was saying. He looked to her friends for help.

"She thinks you won't want her or to touch her because of what Avery did to her." Ginny said. "She told me while we where on holiday that she'd be surprised if you'd want her in that way because she wasn't untouched."

"Oh gods, Hermione. Why didn't you tell me?" Severus asked as he held her close. "I don't care that you'll come to me touched. All I care about is that you feel you aren't worthy of being with the one you love. Because you are worthy of being loved and of being with the one you want."

Severus picked Hermione up in his arms, walked them back to her room where he sat on her bed, and just held her as she cried out her pain. He never realized that she would be fighting such insecurity like that. He had always seen how strong she was and how sure she was of herself. He never thought for a minute she would lose that.

"I'm here for you, Hermione. I'll be here until you tell me to go." Severus whispered.

"Severus, I want forever with you."


	17. Dinner and Snowballs

Chapter 17

"You better behave yourself or Hermione will never forgive you." Amelia warned Kevin. She had managed to talk her husband and daughter into having dinner together at the Three Broomsticks, and Severus would be joining them.

It had been a couple of days since they walked in to see Severus and Hermione in bed together. Kevin had refused to talk to either of them. Amelia was grateful to Severus for coming and explaining his intentions and his feelings for their daughter.

"I will, sweetheart. It's just hard to realize my daughter is in love with a man. It would be easier to handle if she was in love with Ron or someone else her age." Kevin replied. "I'm just not ready for my baby girl to be all grown up."

"Then maybe next time, instead of yelling at her, you tell her that." Amelia observed. She was hoping with this dinner that things would start to mend between Kevin and Hermione.

"Yes, dear." Kevin said with a small smirk on his face. He knew his wife was right. He was overreacting to what had happened to his daughter, and was rather jealous that his baby girl didn't want to come to him to protect her. He remembered how he had always been the one she went to when she scrapped her knees or fell down and got a scrap. He wasn't ready for her to grow out of that and to start loving a man the way a woman loves.

A knock on the portrait door pulled Kevin out of his thoughts. He smiled as Hermione and Severus walked in. He stood up and held his arms open for Hermione to give him a hug. His smile grew bigger as she walked into his arms. "I've missed you baby girl." He whispered against her cheek before placing a quick peck on it.

"I've missed you too Daddy." Hermione said; she was so happy her dad was coming around to her being with Severus.

"Why don't we head on down?" Amelia suggested, grabbing her jacket off the back of the couch.

* * *

><p>"Hermione! Severus! What brings you two out tonight?" Madame Rosmerta asked as she saw the two walk through the door.<p>

"We're having dinner with Miss Granger's parents." Severus said, inclining his head as a greeting.

"Ah, so the rumors are true! About time someone stole your heart away Severus." Rosmerta said with a chuckle. "I'll bring over some butter beers and then Ronnie will be over to tell you about the specials."

With that Severus led the group towards the back of the pub, to a booth close to the fire. Severus and Hermione sat facing the bar; Kevin and Amelia faced the fireplace. Both of the men sat on the outside, Kevin's left arm went across Amelia's shoulders, while Severus held Hermione's hand with his right hand, resting them on his leg.

"What does butterbeer taste like, Mione?" Amelia asked. She had heard her daughter talking about it before but she never tired it, even when they were in Diagon Alley getting school supplies.

"It's kind of like butterscotch, but not as sweet so it won't give you a tummy ache." Hermione replied. She was feeling nervous. Her dad hadn't really talked during the walk there. Hermione and Amelia chatted about how Hermione liked spending time in the bookstore and at Zonko's with Ginny and the boys.

"Hello Professor, Hermione." Ronnie greeted as she walked up to their table.

"Hello Ronnie." Hermione greeted with a smile. "How have you been since graduating?"

"Pretty good. Auntie Ro is keeping me busy." She answered. "Alright, what can I get for ya? We have a few specials. Chili with cornbread, Mince Pie, or Clam Chowder with biscuits."

Everyone asked for the clam chowder, and sipped at their butterbeers after Rosmerta placed them on the table. Hermione was smiling ear to ear by the time the soups where placed on their table. Severus and Kevin where talking about England's up coming football game. She had no idea Severus enjoyed the muggle sport, but was glad he and her dad where getting on so well.

"Sports. Who knew?" Amelia joked. "They were bound to find something in common." She said, poking fun at the boys, causing the table to fill with laughter.

Soon the group was saying their goodbyes to Rosmerta and Ronnie. They were thankful the snow was still holding off as they made their way back up to the castle. Hermione and Amelia led the way, the boys behind them, now talking about Quidditch and the upcoming match between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"So does the tattoo Mione got mean she's going to be rooting for your house, Severus?" Kevin asked, poking fun at his daughter.

"God no! Harry would kill me if I ever did that." Hermione shot over her shoulder.

"Yes, but shouldn't you support your boyfriends team?" Amelia asked. "After all, Ginny is the one dating him, not you."

"Yes but mum she's also dating Draco, who's a Slytherin, and she plays for Gryffindor. It would be in bad taste for her to support Slytherin. Plus, it brings up a fun and lively debate between Severus and me. After all he's rather thick headed about the fact that Gryffindor is far better then Slytherin." Hermione said as she started laughing.

"Really?" Severus asked in a deep voice

Next thing Hermione knew, she felt a snowball smack her in the back of the head. "Oh no, you did not Severus!" She quickly retaliated and got Severus square in the face. As Severus reached down for more snow he got hit on the shoulder by a snowball coming from Amelia, causing Hermione to throw one at her.

Severus and Hermione found themselves in a snowball fight against Kevin and Amelia. They were out there for a few hours before Ginny, Harry, and Draco came out looking for them, and they joined in. Once the girls started shivering they decided to head back into their dorms.

"Goodnight mum, daddy." Hermione said as she hugged her parents. "Thank you for having us out to dinner. It means a lot."

"It was fun. Maybe we can do it again next weekend." Kevin offered.

"Sounds great, Mister Granger." Severus replied.

"You can call me Kevin. Now off to bed you lot. You all have classes tomorrow." With that he and Amelia entered their rooms. Severus grabbed Hermione's hand and walked past her dorm, they said their goodbyes to Ginny and the boys.

"So, what are we going to read tonight?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I thought we could read in bed." Severus said, eying her from the corner of his eye. "I mean, if you're okay with that."

"I'd love to." Hermione said, a shy smile crossing her lips.


	18. First Time

**A/N: This is a love scene so if you don't like them, skip it or read until you see two starts.  
><strong>

Chapter 18

Severus shut the door to the potions classroom after holding it open for Hermione. He held her hand again as they walked to the door leading to his private chambers. Once the entered the study, Severus took off his damp robes and jacket, hanging them by the fire to dry. Hermione followed suit with her robes and jacket.

Hermione turned to Severus, and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing a kiss on his cheek after stepping onto her tiptoes. "Thank you, love." She whispered.

"For what?" he asked as he hugged her closer to him.

"For going, and for helping my dad get to know you better." Hermione laid her head against his chest. She knew her dad hadn't been the easiest to get along with in the beginning but she was grateful that Severus didn't give up.

"Of course, Hermione. He's your dad, and he's very important to you." Severus said before kissing her. He'd meant for it to be a quick kiss, but before he knew it Hermione had started to take it deeper.

She pressed her body closer to his, wrapped her arms around his neck, running one of her hands through his hair. She was tormenting him. He'd been craving her ever since the night he slept next to her, but he wasn't sure she was ready for that step yet.

"Granger." Severus tried to break away from the kiss, but it took several tries. "Hermione, love. You need to stop or I won't be able to." He said. He didn't want to take advantage of her, but if she kept pressing her body against his like that, he would lose all common sense.

"I don't want you to." She whispered against his ear, before kissing on his neck. Then she abruptly stopped, took his hand, and led the way to his bedroom. Once in there, her nerves took over and she didn't know what to do next.

"Are you sure, love?" Severus asked, sensing her nervousness. "We don't have to if you're unsure or don't want to." He said trying to reassure her.

"No, I want to. I just…" Hermione broke off and started twisting her ring on her left hand. "I don't know what to do."

"That's okay." Severus said, taking her hands and pulling her to him, where he bent his head and kissed her. "If you're sure, then I'll show you."

At her head nod, Severus walked them over to his bed, where he sat down and pulled Hermione between his legs. They once again started kissing, and he placed her hands on his shirt, undoing a few of the buttons before she took over. She slid her hands between the openings of his shirt, running her hands up to his shoulders to push the shirt off of him. He was thankful that for once he wasn't wearing a t-shirt under, like he usually did during the winter.

He slowly moved his hands from her waist up her body and under her shirt. They stopped kissing long enough for him to pull her shirt over her head. It was her turn to be thankful; she hadn't had time to find her bra and decided to forgo it that night before meeting up with Severus to go to dinner.

"God, you're beautiful." Severus said as he pulled back to look at her, getting up from his spot on the bed. He turned them around and gently laid Hermione down on the bed and came over her. He closed his eyes and he felt Hermione's fingers lightly trace his many scars on his chest.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that Severus." She whispered, knowing many had to have had to come from Tom while he served as a double agent.

"It's over now and they are just reminders of where I don't want to be again." He said, before kissing his way from her neck, down to just above her breast and across to the other side of her neck.

Hermione spread her legs a little wider, allowing Severus more room. He pulled back from her, and started unzipping her jeans. Hermione's arms lay above her head, she felt completely safe with Severus. She had expected to feel nervous but… it felt right to her. She lifted her butt up off the bed, making it easier for Severus to pull her pants down and off her legs.

Before he could lean over her again, she sat up and started to undo his pants. She had always thought his pants would be all buttons, matching his jacket and robes, but she found just one button and a zipper. She tried to lower the zipper, but was having trouble; do to the bulge behind it.

"Let me, love." Severus said, covering her hands with his. He removed her hands, and pushed her gently back down on the bed. He had the zipper down in one quick move of his right hand, and was leaning over her again, completely naked. He rested his lower half against her, and moved her hands above her head, kissing her neck and shoulders, before kissing her soft lips._******_

"Are you ready?" He asked as he moved his hands down to her waist, resting them just above her knickers. At the nod of her head, he leaned back far enough to pull them down and tossed them over his shoulder. He quickly moved back to her neck and was kissing and sucking at it. Hermione brought her arms around his neck, tangling one hand in his hair, and the other held tight on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Hermione. This first bit is going to hurt." And with that Severus bit down on her neck as he thrust into her. Not hard enough to cause sever pain, but just enough to distract her from the pain of his penetration

"Hermione? You okay?" He asked, holding himself completely still above her.

There were tears in her eyes and she was silent for a minute. Severus was about to pull away from her, thinking that she had changed her mind, but then she slowly wrapped her legs around his waist, causing him to go deeper. She let out a little whimper but whispered, "Yes, I'm fine."

"We can stop if you want." Severus replied. Stopping was the last thing he wanted, her heat surrounding him was like heaven, but he didn't want her in pain.

"No." Hermione said quickly. The pain was beginning to subside and she wanted him. She had wanted him since her fifth year at Hogwarts. Now that she had him, she wasn't letting go. "I don't want to stop." She said before kissing him.

Severus slowly started to move his hips. Once Hermione started to move her hips with his, he went a little faster and deeper. She started to moan as he moved his left hand from her waist to her breast, kneading it, and causing his nails to bite into her skin.

"Mmm, Severus." Hermione moaned as she felt him kissing and nipping at her neck. As he moved back to look down at her, she moved her hands to his shoulders, gripping them tight enough for her nails to dig into his flesh. He began to thrust deeper in her, enjoying the feeling of how tight her body gripped his.

Severus moved his hands to her legs, unwrapping them from his waist, then flipped them so that she was on top. She wasn't sure what to do, but her body seemed to know and her hips started rocking against him.

"That's it love. Just like that." Severus said as he place his hands on her hips to help guide her. She started moving faster as she felt him grow harder inside of her. She slowly moved her hands from his shoulders; down his chest and his six pack, up her body and past her full breasts, and into her hair. She pushed her hair back, causing it to flow down her back, stopping just above the middle of her back and moved her hips even faster.

Severus could feel her growing tighter and tighter as she got closer to the edge of her pleasure. He stilled her hips, and flipped them again. He wanted to look down into her eyes when she reached her first orgasm. Once she wrapped her legs around him again, he grabbed her hips and pulled her toward him every time he thrust into her, causing her to moan louder and louder.

"Oh god, Severus!" Hermione was close. She was looking deep into Severus's eyes. She could see the love he felt for her and the need he had. She hoped he could see the same in hers. She had never loved someone as deeply as she loved him.

"Hermione!" Severus moaned.

"SEVERUS!" Before Hermione had any idea what hit her, she was hit by orgasm after orgasm as Severus continued to thrust into her, prolonging her release and triggering his own.

"Oh god, Hermione!" With that final thrust, Severus filled her with his seed, and then pulled her against him, and fell to the bed with her lying across him.

They lay that way for countless minutes, their breathing slowing as they just held each other close. Hermione had no idea sex could be that wonderful and couldn't wait to make love with him again. Severus was happier then he ever remembered being. He loved the woman that was in his arms, and knew that she loved him.

"I love you, Severus." Hermione whispered before kissing him, and then pulling the blankets over them. With her head resting on his chest, where she could hear the soothing sound of his heartbeat, she soon fell asleep into a wonderful dream filled with images of her and Severus. Her left hand resting against his chest, he began to lightly run his finger against the snake tattoo on her middle finger.

"I love you, Hermione." Severus replied, holding her close. Before following suit and falling asleep, Severus said a few wordless spells, and set up alarms to wake him if anyone entered the classroom or his chambers. Once that was done, he placed a tender kiss atop her head, and snuggled closely to her, allowing sleep to take him


	19. Ready or Not

Chapter 19

Ever since the night Hermione gave her innocence to Severus, she had been sleeping is his chambers. Waking early enough to get back to her dorm for the last week to keep the students from adding even more rumors to the rumor mill that worked so well in the old castle. However, the last three mornings had been different. Hermione would wake at three thirty in the morning and run to the bathroom.

Severus woke to the sound of Hermione throwing up. He was starting to worry. That was the third morning he'd been woken that way. He got out of bed and hurried to her side, and quickly held her hair back for her. "Hermione, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I must have the flu or something. Maybe we played to long in the snow that night with my parents." Hermione said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Alright, why don't I take you to your room so you can get changed and then you head up to see Poppy?" Severus suggested. "This way we can stop it before it gets worse."

"Okay, that sounds good." Hermione said, leaning back against the wall and wiping the sides of her mouth with a washcloth. "I'd kiss you, but that would be really gross." She said with a small chuckle.

Severus joined in as he leaned down and place a kiss on her forehead. Once he was sure she was all right, he headed back into his bedroom and pulled his pants on over his naked body and then headed into to his study to find his shirt that Hermione had all but ripped off of him the night before. As Hermione walked out in robes, he grabbed is own and lead the way to her dorm.

"God, I'm starved! I could go for some fish and chips!" Hermione whined.

"How could you possibly be hungry?" Severus asked; I woke to her puking her guts up! He thought to himself, shaking his head.

Hermione just shrugged as they reached the portrait of the milkmaid. Once the portrait open, the couple walked into the common room. They were surprised to see the Weasley's awake and talking to a nervous Draco and Harry. Hermione said a quick hello and then ran for the bathroom again, Severus followed her to make sure she was okay.

"What's that about?" Arthur asked.

"That's the third time this week." Draco said absentmindedly before turning back to the conversation at hand. Just then Ginny walked out and all conversation stopped. She just raised her eyebrow and then pointed to her room, and at the nod of Harry, she went off to find out how Hermione was doing.

* * *

><p>"Okay, that's it. You're staying in bed and I'll have Poppy come to you." Severus said; he was worried that it might have to do with the potion that Avery got on her.<p>

"Morning, Severus." Ginny said. She and Hermione already knew why she was puking in the morning, but Hermione wasn't ready to tell him. "I'll take over. Why don't you send Poppy down and you can finish getting ready for you classes. I promise if anything changes I will come and get you."

Severus looked down at Hermione; she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her head leaning back against the wall with her eyes closed. "Okay. I'll let Ginny take over, if you're okay with that." She just nodded her head, and smiled when he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Sorry I can't give you a proper kiss, love." Hermione said jokingly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Hermione. You can make up for my lack of a good morning kiss when you are feeling better." With that Severus walked out, placing a gentle hand on Ginny's shoulder as a thank you for being there for the one he loves, and left the girls to their ways.

"When are you going to tell him you are pregnant?" Ginny asked, placing her hands on her hips. She knew that Hermione was scared, but she also knew how much Severus loved her best friend. He'd be thrilled at the chance to be a father.

"When all this bullshit with Avery is over. Hell, I haven't even told my parents. You and Poppy are the only ones that know." Hermione said before leaning over the toilet again. "God, I can't wait until this passes."

Poppy soon appeared out of the fireplace. She brought some anti nausea potions and prenatal potions. She meant to give them to Hermione the first time she had seen her, but she was out and Hermione made it very clear she did not want Severus brewing them. It would raise too many questions she wasn't ready to answer, and she didn't want word going through the castle, incase someone was informing Avery or if he'd found a way to stay in the castle undetected.

"Ginny!" Hermione said, a thought all of a sudden coming to her. "Go get the marauders map from Harry, and then take it to Severus. I think I figured out a way to find Avery."


	20. Duel

**A/N: This chapter was a bit hard to write. Did quite a bit of research on google for spells. Hope you like this chapter. 2 more chapters go.  
><strong>_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Draco would be in a relationship with Ginny & Harry, Severus never would have died and he'd be with Hermione. _**  
><strong>

Chapter 20

"Professor Snape." Ginny called out as she walked into Severus's classroom. She would have called him by his first name, but she was unsure as to who would be in the room with him. "May I please have a moment of your time? I had a question about last weeks homework assignment."

"Then you should have been here earlier, no?" Severus asked he was getting reading to start his first class of the day. It was the first year Gryffindors and Slytherins, one of his least favorite classes.

"Well, after talking to Hermione, the question just came to me." Ginny answered, hoping that the mention of his girlfriend's name would make him stuff his Potions Master routine elsewhere. At the slight bow of his head, she followed him outside to the teachers lounge.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" His first thought was that whatever was making her sick had gotten worse. He hoped he was wrong though; thinking that if it had Ginny wouldn't have bothered with a weak story like the one she had just given him.

"She's fine, but she thought of a way to find Avery." Ginny handed him the map, which she had opened before leaving to retrieve Severus. "She thinks he's manage to stay in the castle by staying in the Room of Requirement. If that's the case, we need to keep a close eye on the map for when he leaves the room."

"Does Potter know you took this from him?" Severus asked as he pulled it closer to get a clearer look at it.

"Yes he does. In fact, Harry and Draco should be heading up to that floor to keep an eye on the entrance. Harry is under the cloak and Draco is going to take the long way to all his classes. He has the excuse of walking Mi to classes, so he won't get in trouble with the other Professors and Harry doesn't have any classes until late this afternoon." Ginny said before taking her leave and heading back to her dorms to get her book bag.

* * *

><p>"Found you, you bastard!" Severus whispered when he caught sight of Avery walking through the hallways taking him to kitchen from the seventh floor.<p>

Severus got up from his desk and dismissed his class and headed up the hall to the kitchen. He didn't care if he had to kill Avery, but he was going to keep him from harming Hermione or any girl.

Severus leaned against the wall across from the entrance, and smirked when not five minutes later Avery came strutting down the hall like he was untouchable. How did I never notice who full of himself he is? He's worse then Lucius and Tom. Severus thought to himself. "You really should have just left and found a whole to burry yourself in, Avery."

"Severus, I didn't expect to see you down here." Avery said as he stopped midstride. He hadn't expected to see anyone down here, especially Severus. He knew all of his classes. "Look, Severus, if I had known she was your mudblood, I would haven't touched her. So why don't you just take first crack at whom I pick? That way we're even."

"You are seriously delusional if you think I would ever rape an innocent girl and that it would make up for what you did to Hermione!" Severus spat, pulling out his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Avery shouted.

"Finite Incantatem!" Severus blocked the spell. "Expulso!" He aimed his wand at the statue behind Avery.

As Severus tried to keep an eye out for students while fighting Avery, Avery shot wildly with several silent spells. Trying to bind him in place and then he tried to lift him with Levicorpus. His aim was so horrible though, and he hit a student that Severus had not seen.

It was a first year girl from Ravenclaw. "Oh, looks like I found my mudblood, Severus."

Severus slowly moved his way to stand behind the girl, and decided it was time to end this. He could hear other students coming down the hall, classes being out for the day. The last thing he needed was a student being seriously injured.

"Erecto." Severus caused a piece of stone to lift into the air and hit Avery's wand arm with it, making him break the spell. Severus was keeping his arms held out so that the girl would fall into them. As he placed her on the ground, Avery took off.

"Incendio!" Avery shot over his shoulder as he ran down the hall

"Aguamenti!" Severus countered; putting out the flames Avery sent toward him and followed him down the hallway.

Avery shot the trip jinx but missed Severus and hit a first year walking down the adjoining hallway. As Avery turned a corner he pointed his wand at another statue and shouted "Reducto!"

"Protego!" Severus called out in enough time to protect himself from the flying stone pieces.

"Incen-"

"Langlock!" He shot causing Avery's tongue to glue to the top of his mouth, stopping him from finished his spell. "Colloportus!" Severus shouted, the suit of armor bursting into flames before Avery could run past it, making him fall onto his back.

"Cruci-"

"SECTUMPSEMPRA!" Severus yelled. Avery let out muffled screams of pain as Harry and Draco managed to make it through the crowd of students to get to Severus and Avery. "Go get Albus! Now!" He demanded.

The boys took off as Severus walked towards Avery. He knew he should go about stopping the cuts from continuing and stop the bleeding but that part of him that had seen Hermione cry and double over in pain, wanted him to feel just an ounce of what she had been dealt.

Finally, noticing the huge crowd of students, Severus knelt down next to him and began the incantation to stop the blood flow. He didn't notice Avery grabbing for his wand while he focused on the cuts that where closer to the arteries.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione shot from in front of him. "You're lucky I don't kill you, you bastard!" She screamed before stomping down on his groin.

"GRANGER!" Severus yelled. "Now is not the time! To my chambers!" He pointed towards his classroom. "NOW DAMN YOU!"

Ginny and Amelia came up and grabbed onto Hermione, turning her from Avery and Severus. Ginny led the way as her friend quietly cried against her mom. She could tell Hermione wanted to hurt him badly, possibly even kill him, and that it scared her. She'd had the hardest time as one of the trio justifying torturing or killing Death Eaters.

As they entered the potions classroom, Albus walked into the hallway. "Students will go back to their dorms. Any student seen hanging back will be expelled!" He looked around at all the students; making sure each and everyone one of them took him seriously. "Severus, bring Mister Binns to my office."


	21. Happy Ending

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the story. I had a great time writing it. The Epilogue is next. **

Chapter 21

"Let's try that again, shall we?" Severus said menacingly, holding Avery's head back by the hair, holding his wand at his throat. "What was the potion that you were working on?"

"Fuck you!"

"Tisk, tisk, Avery." Severus said before using the Cruciatus curse on him again. "What was the potion, Avery?" He demanded. He'd been torturing Avery for almost an hour. Albus sat behind his desk, occasionally taking over when Severus needed a break. Even though he had been by Tom Riddle's side, he never liked seeing other Death Eaters, muggles, or people he knew being tortured.

Harry and Draco had been excused by Albus and told to make sure Hermione was doing okay. He even asked Minerva to leave the room. He knew it was nothing new for his wife to witness the torturing of a man, but he knew Severus wouldn't be able to look her in the eyes again if she saw.

"Traitor!" Avery shot weakly at Severus.

"Albus, I say we just kill him. I've only need of one more ingredient and then the potion to heal Hermione will be complete." Severus said, looking at Albus. "The last thing we should do is allow him to go to Azkaban where he'll meet up with Lucius and other pure blood fanatics."

"I agree, Severus, I agree. However. I don't think Miss Granger would appreciate us overly much. Especially me if I allowed her lover to end up in Azkaban." Albus said; that twinkle in his eyes again, suggesting he knew something Severus didn't.

"You make a good point." Severus replied. "So what do we do?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Albus got out from behind his desk, twirling his wand between his fingers. "It seems that the way to retrieve the answer as been a simple one." With that he held his wand to Avery's temple and recites, "Legilimens"

"Why, Severus, all you need is a sprig of mint." Albus got out from behind his desk, twirling his wand between his fingers. "It seems that the way to retrieve the answer as been a simple one." With that he held his wand to Avery's temple and recites, "Legilimens"

"Why, Severus, all you need is a sprig of mint." Albus said, some what amazed that Severus had not found it earlier. He did the spell again, he wanted to make sure it was something he had created himself, and had not been given to him by someone else; someone possibly more dangerous. "Seems our Mister Binns was merely lucky in his findings."

"I'll go down to my classroom and add the mint. I'll make sure there isn't a trace of his potion left when I'm done. This way we never have to worry about it again." Severus turned for the door and was about to exit when a thought occurred to him. "Albus, did you see why he wanted to make this kind of potion?"

"His parents where killed by Hermione during the war." Albus replied. With that Severus left the headmasters office, leaving Albus to send his patronus down to hogsmead where he knew a few aurors where spending their Friday.

* * *

><p>Severus added the mint to the potion he had been working on, finally completing it. He scooped up enough to fill a vial, than he cleaned out what was left over. He threw Avery's notebook into the fire, that way no one would ever be able to recreate the potion.<p>

Severus found Hermione and Ginny curled up and asleep on his couch, the boys had passed out on the floor and Amelia was asleep in a chair, she had been reading his Alice in Wonderland book by the fireplace, which now laid open on her lap. As he walked by the coffee table he saw a plate of fish and chips on the table, causing him to smirk as the thought; My love got what she was craving that mornin… Craving? Morning sickness?

Hermione eyed Severus, realizing that he was lost in thought. "Severus, what is it?"

"Avery finally told me what I needed to know to make the antidote. Here you go love." Severus handed it to her, keeping his thoughts to himself. "I burned his notes and got rid of what was left of the vile potion he was working on, so no one will ever have to go through what you did."

"Did you find out why he did it?" Ginny asked sleepily as she began to sit up, giving Severus room to sit next to Hermione.

Severus took Hermione's hand in his. He knew she would take this very hard. He wanted her to know that she had people there to support her, thankfully her trusted friends where in the room. "Yes. His parents died during the war, and… it seems Hermione shot the curse that killed them."

"My god!" Hermione's eyes began to tear up. She felt horrible for every death she had dealt, but she had never thought a child or family member would retaliate against her. "Doesn't he realize that none of us enjoyed causing that kind of pain and loss?"

"Hush, love." Severus said, pulling her into him. She laid the back of her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her middle. "It doesn't matter anymore. He's going to be locked away for what's left of his life."

"He's right baby girl." Amelia said gently. She didn't know much of what happened, anytime she or Kevin asked Hermione about it, she would get quiet or quickly change the subject. "I'll let you all hash this out, and I'll go tell your father that everything is okay."

"Thank god you thought of the map, Mi." Harry said after they all said their good byes to Amelia. He was so happy for his friend, and not just because Avery was caught, but because through his evil and crazy vendetta, Severus and Hermione found their soul mate in each other. "And I'm happy for you and Severus, Mi. Through all the bad, good came from it."

"You have no idea, Harry." Ginny said, eying Hermione who was rolling the vial around in her hand. She just chuckled as Harry and Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Miss Granger, you need to drink that." Severus said in his potion masters voice, as she placed it on the coffee table next to her lunch plate.

"I will, love. In about nine months." She said with a smile, taking one of his hands and placing it on her tummy. "After our son or daughter is born."

Ginny took that as her cue to take the boys and leave. Which was a good thing because both boys where ready to threaten Severus into marrying her and making an honorable woman out of her.

Severus pulled back from her to look her in the eye. "Really? I'm going to be a father?" He saw her tear up as she nodded her head. "You are amazing, Hermione." He said before kissing her.

"So… so you're not mad?" She asked as she started twisting her ring again.

"Granger, I'm going to take your rings away if you don't stop doing that." He said with a chuckle. She looked up at him; she was starting to feel hurt, thinking that he was avoiding her question. "And no, I'm not mad. I'm excited and happier then I've been in a long time. I never thought I'd have a change to be a father."

"Oh, Severus!" Hermione threw herself into his arms and kissed him. "I was so afraid you'd be mad at me." She said between kisses.

"It's my fault for not thinking clearly that night." Severus said once Hermione sat back against the couch. "But I wouldn't change it for anything. I love you Hermione Jean Granger.

"I love you too Severus Tobias Snape."


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue

The family sat outside under a star filled night sky. They'd added another member that day, just three months before the youngest ones would join them. Severus and Hermione Snape. The Weasleys held a dinner for them after the Grangers had the little ceremony at their house in Lambeth.

Ginny was the maid of honor, and Harry shared the duty of best man with Draco. Shocking a few people, but Hermione knew it was his way of including his long lost friend Lily. Most women would have been jealous but I know that Severus loves me as a man, and that he had loved Lily as a teenage boy. Hermione mused as she thought of all the good she had been given that morning. Hermione had, had a doctors appointment with a muggle midwife, the blood results where in. She knew that Severus was the father, but it was nice have it confirmed so that Severus would stop worrying.

"Mistress Snape, we should probably get you to bed." Severus whispered, enjoying the feel of his wife's hand holding his, while she rested her head on his shoulder. Though the day was very simple and low key, caring twins took most of Hermione's energy.

"Just a few more minutes, Mister Snape." Hermione replied in a whisper. She was enjoying the image of Arthur asking her dad questions he had about muggle items, and what they where used for. Molly and Amelia where swapping recipes and war stories of raising children. "I can't wait to see our babies, Severus. I hope our son looks like you and that our daughter has your eyes. And lets pray she doesn't have my hair, or when she becomes a teenager we'll never hear the end of it." She said with a laugh.

"As long as they have all ten toes and fingers, and are smart like their mother, I'll be the happiest father this world has ever seen." Severus said before placing a kiss on her lips. Kevin and Amelia walked over as Severus stood up, getting ready to take Hermione to their car, that would take them to their knew home.

"Welcome to the family, Severus." Kevin said, shaking his hand. "I look forward to getting to know more about you and seeing the babies." Kevin then hugged his daughter, as best he could with her six-month belly in the way. "I love you baby girl, and I'm so happy for you."

"I love you too daddy." She placed a kiss on his cheek. "We'll see you soon. You know mum is going to want to make sure the house is baby proofed."

"Hush, you. It's just because I know you'll be too tired to do it and Severus won't have time to do it what with having to make sure you don't over work yourself." Her mother chided. "Take care of my little girl, Severus." Amelia warned as she pulled him into a hug.

The Grangers made their way through the Weasley family to say their goodbyes. Ginny and the boys ran up to Hermione, a huge smile on all their faces. "I don't mean to spoil your day but, we're getting married!" Ginny said.

"Oh Ginny, I'm so happy for you!" Hermione said, pulling her into a huge, then Draco and Harry hugged her. Severus gave a hug to Ginny and then shook the hands of each boy.

"We'll be looking for our invite." Severus said, eying Harry like he had when he first started at Hogwarts. "I know how you Gryffindors can't help but hold a grudge."

"Ha. You know I'm your favorite Gryffindor, after Mi of course." Harry said with a chuckle, before they where over taken by the rest of the Weasleys.

Once all the goodbyes and congratulations where said, Severus helped Hermione into the car. They had found a beautiful mansion not far from the Weasley's burrow, but far enough that Severus didn't feel like he'd be forced to see them when he wanted his time alone with his wife. Once he parked that car in front of the doors, he came around and helped Hermione out of the car.

"Welcome home, Mistress Snape." Severus whispered as he picked her up, and walked to the door that opened at his wordless spell. He carried her to the master bedroom in the back of the house, not setting her down until he was next to their king size four-poster bed. Once he made sure she was comfortable, he waved his hand over her, removing her wedding dress and pulled the covers over her. He did the same with his clothes, and then crawled in next to her. He placed his hand on her growing stomach, where he could feel his babies kicking. "I love you with all my heart Hermione Jean Snape."

Hermione covered his bigger hand with her small one. "I love you with all my heart Severus Tobias Snape."


End file.
